


The Lion that Devoured the Sun

by Giratina_vibes



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 63,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23861866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giratina_vibes/pseuds/Giratina_vibes
Summary: Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	1. Welcome, Alchemist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo Andersen found herself in the middle of nowhere. That was really the only way she could describe it. She was standing in a white, empty void. She tried looking down to see if she could find what she was standing on. However, the only thing that proved her existence to herself was the sight of her own legs and a shadow on the missing floor. Leo tried looking up to the light source. The shadow was directly under her, so the light source must be directly over her. However, there was no light source, just more of the white void. 

But something caught her eye when she looked up, a flash of solid grey entered her vision from behind her. Leo turned around and felt the blood freeze in her veins. A tall stone gateway hovered a couple feet above the nonexistent ground right behind her. Leo whirled around to better view what she knew was her Portal of Truth. The very thought of standing in front of her own Truth was unnerving. 

Leo knew that each Portal had its own design. Just as no two souls are the same, no two Gates are the same. Each person has their own understanding of Truth. She remembered that Edward’s resembled a tree with many roots overlapping symbols with their own design and purpose. Alphonse’s looked more like a solar system with a crown sitting at the top, separating the heavenly body of the sun from the mortal planets. 

Leo’s Portal was anything but simple.

The center of the Gate held a sideways infinity symbol that circled two other identical patterns. These patterns were a collection of squares and circles and triangles sitting next to each other and holding their own words and meanings. However, while the two patterns were the same in each circle of that infinity symbol, the one on the bottom was flipped. The infinity symbol itself was not just a line on the Gate; it was made up of two animals that seemed to be battling. Leo could make out what seemed to be a lion and a bird. They fought in the space between the two symbols, yet they kept balance by separating them. 

Two creatures fighting for balance in ; what does this say about Leo’s Truth? 

A thousand voices broke Leo out of her thoughts, **Aren't you clever?**

Leo’s heart stopped; she recognized that voice. She turned around to see something that wasn't there before, yet she somehow knew that it was always watching her every move. 

There sat the image of a young child. Its body was missing, but the thing's overbearing aura made it hard to miss. Leo tried to say something to it, but her throat didn't allow her to speak. The entire situation was too unbelievable to process. Why was she here? 

**Oh?** the thing tilted its head, almost curiously. **You’re not going to ask where you are or what I am?**

Leo narrowed her eyes and mustered up her courage, “You’re the Truth, and I know where this is, so why am I here?"

 **Why don’t you guess, young scientist?** Truth grinned. 

Leo blinked at the statement before she rationalized with herself. Truth usually addresses those who venture here as 'alchemist,' but Leo was not an alchemist. She’s a scientist. While alchemy is a branch of science, it is not Leo’s branch of science. She was more suited to forensic science rather than alchemical science. She then contemplated the rest of what Truth asked of her. Leo knew that performing human transmutation sent people to their Portal of Truth, but she didn’t know the first thing about alchemy, let alone the skills and information to attempt to bring someone back from the dead. 

In front of Leo, the Truth’s grin widened, almost as if it was interested to see how the young scientist’s mind worked. 

Leo didn’t know what to think of herself because she didn’t want to disappoint the thing contemplating her. The first rule of forensic science is to never jump to conclusions; there is always a possibility that you didn’t think of. Human transmutation does throw that alchemist into the Portal, but was the taboo the only way getting there? Edward managed to get here by drawing and activating a human transmutation circle, and he wasn't even trying to bring back the dead that time. He did it to get his brother’s soul and body back from the Gate.

But Leo didn't even remember what happened to her to make her end up in the Portal of Truth. She never drew a circle; hell, she didn’t remember what it looks like. So that still doesn’t answer the question the question of why she was here. Was this a dream? 

Leo shook her head. Unlikely. She was then stopped from any further speculating when the Truth spoke, **You don’t know?**

“And I suppose you do?” Leo gritted her teeth in agitation. “You said it yourself. I’m no alchemist. Of course I don’t know.” The Truth was silent for a moment before it suddenly threw its head back and laughed. The laugh was not a condescending mockery, but rather a surprised satisfaction. Leo swallowed nervously. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what this thing wanted. 

**You are correct, young scientist,** Truth finally stopped laughing, but its grin did not fade. **You will do just fine.**

Before Leo could even process what the Truth said, she heard the doors behind her open. Leo dared to look behind her to see the Eye staring at her, and a thousand black hands reaching out to pull her into the darkness. 

**See you later, alchemist.**

\---------------------------------------------------------

All Leo knew was pain. 

A scream tore through her throat, and pain flared on her arms. Pitch black threatened to swallow her whole as darkness assaulted her vision and clouded her senses. Her head pounded in agony and her stomach dropped to see that both her arms were missing. Only bloody chunks of flesh and bone from the shoulder and half the humerus were left. A new wave of pain made Leo hunch over again. 

Leo screamed again and rolled onto her back, raising her stumps up to try and at least slow the bleeding, but part of her mind said it was no use. She’s lost too much blood already, and there was nobody around. 

Leo was going to die. 

She was going to bleed to death. 

Viewing the world from upside down from where she was, Leo could see the silhouette of a person rapidly approaching her. But Leo couldn’t think anymore. The darkness was coming for her again. Her eyelids finally shut before vaguely felt hands grabbing her shoulders and heard voices shouting to her drowning ears. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

Leo gasped as she woke up in cold sweat. She didn’t even have time to think about what happened before sudden light stung her eyes. What the hell just happened? Was that just a vivid dream? If so, that was the craziest dream Leo’s ever had. Maybe she’s been watching too much TV. 

Leo eventually got used to the light and surveyed the extremely bright room she was in. There was a window at her right and a brown door on her left. 

She was in a hospital room. 

She tried to sit up again but found that she had no leverage. Leo’s stomach dropped. She dared to look down at her arms and only saw cream-looked bandages that were stained with scarlet. By Archaeus, it wasn’t a dream. 

The door opened, and a woman with light brown hair and a white uniform entered. Probably a hospital worker. She had a surprised expression at seeing Leo awake and closed the door behind her. “You’re awake,” she observed quietly. “You gave us quite a scare.” 

Leo once again tried sitting up, but a flash of pain reminded her she didn’t have arms anymore. 

The nurse walked over to the bed and gave Leo a disapproving stare, “You shouldn’t try to move around just yet. Those are some pretty severe injuries.” She wordlessly gestured to the bandaged stumps on either side of Leo, “Just what happened to you?” 

Leo shivered and looked away. She didn’t know what to say. She doesn’t even fully understand what happened herself. Her arms were taken into the Gate, and she woke up dying from blood loss. Leo fibbed and flinched when she heard the hoarseness in her own voice, “I don’t know.” It was a half-truth. She knows how she lost her arms, but she doesn’t know how she ended up in the Gate. 

Leo couldn’t gauge the nurse’s thoughts because she gave an unreadable hum. She probably didn’t buy it, but thankfully she didn’t ask questions, “Well, we can discuss that later. What do you remember?” 

Leo dug through her brain. What did she remember? She was flung into the Gate, but what happened before that? Leo tried to remember when she was in front of the Truth but couldn’t remember anything there either. It made Leo groan just thinking about what happened to her in the Gate. 

Hearing the sound of distress, the nurse tried shifting the rather one-sided conversation, “What’s your name?” 

Leo gulped harshly but still responded in a shaky voice, “Leo.” 

Before the nurse could say anything else, the amputee asked her a question, “What day is it?” 

“October 17.” 

“How long was I out?” 

“Fourteen days.” 

“What year is it?” 

“1911.” 

Leo tried not to look surprised. If she remembered correctly, the events of Fullmetal Alchemist started in the year 1914, and the eclipse was sometime in the year 1915. But the teen paused for a moment. She did some quick mental math. She woke up on October 17th and was out for two weeks. So, she was found on October 3rd. October 3rd, wasn’t that the date on Edward’s State Alchemist pocket watch? What was the message again? _Never forget. 3. Oct. 11._ Leo probably appeared in Amestris on that exact day, and she must’ve been unconscious for the next couple weeks. 

“What happened?” Leo asked the nurse. 

She pursed her lips, “We were hoping to ask you ask that. A soldier brought you in after he found you bleeding out in an alley.” 

Leo looked away. 

The nurse asked the unspoken question, “How did you get those injuries?” 

“I don’t know.” 

The nurse silently sighed at that response and tried asking something else to help narrow down her own ideas, “How did you get in that alley?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“What was the last thing you were doing before your injuries?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Do you have any family?” 

"No."

The hospital worker had to stomp down the sadness she felt when the young girl in front of her said she had no family. She steeled herself and tried a different approach, “Do you have a last name?” 

“No.” 

Leo didn’t know where she was; she didn’t know if this was some elaborate trick someone was playing on her. In her research (binge watching serial killer and psychopath documentaries), Leo has seen some very bizarre things people have done and the lengths they take to pull those insane stunts. People with unhealthy mind tends to have weird logic (Leo honestly didn’t know if she was referring to anyone other than herself anymore), so was this the work of some deranged lunatic? It was no secret she was a fan of this show. She had jackets and shirts with homunculi symbols and transmutation circles and even had a State Alchemist pocket watch replica. 

Was this entire situation some sick joke? Were her arms cut off just so someone could laugh at her? It was a stretched theory, but Leo just couldn’t entertain the idea that she was in Amestris. She couldn’t digest the thought that she could be in her favorite anime. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. The last thing Leo’s going to do is tell anyone anything about herself, including her last name. 

The nurse asked a few more questions, but Leo didn’t even listen anymore. She just felt upset and confused. Eventually, the nurse got the idea and left Leo alone. The door closed, and Leo immediately shot straight up and out of the bed. Even though she doesn’t have her arms, she can still walk, and she can still run out of this place. 

Leo had to leave. She didn’t know where, but she couldn’t stay here. She staggered out of the room and leaned on the wall as she ran for the exit. A few other people in the hall looked at her in confusion; they must not have been expecting Leo to just bolt out of the room like that. However, when the situation finally hit, they began trying to chase her. Leo’s insides jumped in fear, and she began trying to run. 

“Wait!” a voice called out. “Miss! You shouldn’t be-!” 

Leo rounded a corner and crashed into the wall, yelping when she felt a wave of pain run up her shoulders from hitting the white brick. She was quickly running out of breath, and the exit was nowhere in sight. But Leo had to keep running; if they catch her, she won’t be able to escape. She had to get out and call for help. 

Finally, Leo burst through a set of double doors that seemed to lead to the lobby. Many people jumped when they saw a teenage girl with no arms suddenly appear, but Leo couldn’t focus on that. The exit was right there. Panting heavily, she charged for the escape before the people chasing her could catch up. 

She was suddenly stopped by a figure holding onto her torso, as if it was being mindful of the wounds on what remained of her arms. Leo shrieked in panic and started flailing, desperate to get away. The exit was right there. She could still make it! She just had to get away from this one person! 

“Hey, hey, hey, hold on,” a somewhat familiar male voice tried calming her down, but Leo was not going to cooperate. This was a trick. This wasn’t real. This was some sick prank, and Leo had to get home to her family. She couldn’t stay here. She didn’t even know where here was. 

“Go away!” Leo howled. “Leave me alone! I just want to leave!” 

“You’re still injured,” the figure tried reasoning with her. 

Leo dared to open her eyes and saw cobalt blue with white trims and small gold ropes. She immediately recognized it as an Amestrian military uniform. And Leo also immediately recognized the man who was wearing that military uniform. 

It was Maes Hughes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	2. Automail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“I-I… I have to go,” Leo stuttered. “I can’t s-stay here.”

It was all she could really utter out. She was just in shock. This couldn’t be real.

“Now hold on,” the soldier guided her back through the lobby and past the confused hospital workers.

Leo wanted to run. She wanted to turn around and bolt for the door, but she felt as if she was frozen. Leo already tried escaping once, doing another attempt and with so many other people around would be doomed to fail.

By the time Leo and Hughes got back to the original room, a doctor was waiting for them. Next to him were a couple of security guards. Leo guessed they were here in case the girl tried escaping again. The doctor said he was alerted when Leo woke up, but she fled before he could do an inspection. Leo shied away but eventually had to reluctantly let him do his job. He did tell her his name, but Leo honestly couldn’t be bothered to remember it.

The doctor asked her some questions and did a couple painless tests, almost as if it was a standard physical exam. Nurses came in later to change the bloodied bandages.

It was then that Leo noticed that she had a tattoo of sorts on her left shoulder. At first glance, it was an Ouroboros symbol that the homunculi wore, but upon closer inspection, the strange pattern had two serpent-like creatures instead of one: a bird with no legs and a four legged lizard. Her Portal of Truth had two creatures battling, but they were a lion and a bird. 

Hughes asked about the tattoo. Leo didn’t answer; she didn’t know, herself. He tried asking other questions about where she came from, what she came from, and where her family is. Leo still didn’t answer. She wasn’t going to say anything to this guy.

When the girl refused to answer, Hughes asked her about what she was going to do about her arms.

Again, Leo didn’t know. She still didn’t answer.

Hughes didn’t lose his patience with Leo. Instead, he smiled calmly and said, “A friend of mine knows of an automail mechanic who built an arm and leg for one of his subordinates. I think I can get you a recommendation.”

Leo already knew that Resembool was a quiet little town. Well, it wasn’t very little; there were just not a lot of people in this rural area. Everybody knew everybody. Since people recognized herself and Hughes as newcomers, they decided to ask and conversate with them, which was a bit strange for Leo. She lived in a small neighborhood, herself, but she didn’t even know the names of the people who lived next door. Maybe because video games in her world keep people inside while farming in Resembool keeps people outside.

Leo wore a jacket loosely over her shoulders so people couldn’t see that she doesn’t have arms. It looked like people didn’t notice because Leo never saw any looks of pity or sadness when they looked at her. Hopefully she can just make it to the Rockbells’ quickly so she can get automail.

\--------------------------------------------------

“Uh, I’m Leo,” the black-haired teen managed. She almost tried to extend a hand but remembered that she didn’t have hands anymore.

“Winry Rockbell,” the young mechanic felt as awkward as Leo did. Usually introductions are followed by a handshake, but Leo can’t do that. “You’re here for automail?”

Leo nodded, “I can’t live that this. But I don’t have any money.”

Hughes put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “I’ll pay for the automail.”

Leo gave him an unsure look, “But I don’t want to ask too much of you. You’ve already saved my life.”

“Don’t worry about it, Leo. Just focus on recovery.”

Leo took a deep breath and asked, “How long will the operation take?”

“For two arms,” Pinako Rockbell responded. “You’re looking at four years of rehabilitation.”

Leo snarled. Four years was too late. Hell, even three years was too late. By the time she would recover, the Promise Day and the eclipse would pass, and the horrors that were meant to happen could be avoided if Leo was there to prevent it. To hell with four years. “I’ll do it in one.”

Winry and Pinako gave each other shocked and recognized expressions. Leo knew very well who they were thinking of, and the blonde mechanic spoke, “Y-You’ll be spitting up blood, you know.”

Leo knew, but she’s made up her mind. Just regular automail surgery was painful enough but rushing it would be absolute hell. But if Leo doesn’t go through with it, then all of Amestris would suffer for it. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

\--------------------------------------------------

The show certainly wasn’t kidding; getting automail was agony. Leo didn’t know if she was ashamed or not to say that she did scream in pain during the operations. Two surgeries, one on each arm while conscious, were horrifically painful. She knew very well that ‘horrifically painful’ was not nearly a powerful enough term to describe the surgeries. She could feel every incision, every drill, every plate and screw that were bolted into her bones, and it was torture. Leo almost backed out of it a few times, but she remembered what was at stake.

She had a few days before the operations to recover form the initial injuries she got from the Gate before going through with the surgery. During that time, Leo had plenty of time to think and reflect. Maybe she’s being too serious about this. Amestris is not her world, why the hell should she care if a country is sent to oblivion? There was plenty of death and destruction in the events of Fullmetal Alchemist, and it was painful to see beloved characters meet a foul end. But that was just it, they were just characters. Their fates were sad, but genuine emotion is what makes great storytelling. Leo didn’t care much for it before. But now? With these being real people in real situations, it was much different.

Hell, this might not even be real. Leo could wake up one day back in her world and in a hospital bed with an IV attached to arm, but until that day, Leo would do everything in her power to protect this shitshow she’s been dumped into. And that includes agonizing automail surgery. Even if she’s not doing this for Amestris, she’s doing this for herself. Leo was not going to live her life without arms.

Leo was beyond grateful to the Rockbells and Hughes, but sitting here and watching the world go by with Winry and Pinako doing all the work was frustrating. Leo wanted to volunteer to help with something, anything. But she was useless without her arms, and she knew it. It made her all the more impatient to get her automail.

Leo kept most of her belongings with her, but her old clothes were completely ruined with blood from when she appeared from the Gate. Leo didn’t want to get rid of them, but they were unsalvageable anyway. However, she did not get rid of her dinosaur tooth necklace that she got at Universal Studios about a year ago. Leo always wore it because it was cool, but now, it was her only tie to her world. When asked about it by Winry, Leo answered honestly and said it was a gift from her parents.

After the operation was over, Leo was allowed to go back to Central but told to come back every month for regular checkups on her automail ports. On one of her visits, Leo was told it’s been six months since she appeared, bleeding to death in a random alley in Central, and she honestly couldn’t believe it. Has it really been that long? Her understanding of time was always blurry, but with the constant pain of automail being apart of her new life, time seemed to be even messier.

During one of her routine checkups in Resembool, Leo found herself in a sort of an uncomfortable situation. The Elric brothers came back to Resembool for repairs. Apparently, Edward wasn't keeping up on his maintenance, and his right arm completely stopped working. Leo believed that, but she still couldn’t that he and his brother were real. Objectively, she knew they existed, but to actually see them was mind-boggling.

Leo decided to hover in the doorway when she saw Winry lift a wrench and start ranting loudly, “You haven’t called once since you left and now you show up thinking-!”

Edward dared to cut her off with a dark look on his face and holding two small boxes in his left hand, “Hey look, we bought we a present!”

Time seemed to stop. The young Rockbell still held the tool over her head, poised to strike, and Edward held the boxes in front of him as if they would repel Winry’s wrath. Alphonse was frozen beside them, unsure of what to do. Eventually, Winry sighed and took the boxes with reluctant acceptance, “What am I going to do with you?”

The dark look on Edward’s face morphed into an evil grin, “Operation Bribe: Accomplished.”

Leo tilted her head in understanding of the situation. Edward planned on getting Winry a gift to get her out of beating him with a wrench. It worked, apparently. Winry opened the boxes and marveled the silver earrings.

“I hope they’re not too bland for you,” Alphonse piped up.

Winry smiled, “Not at all, they’re perfect. I’m guessing you picked them out, Al.”

The boy in armor chuckled and confirmed her guess.

Edward pitched in his two cens, “I dunno, you sure you don’t want anything fancier?”

Winry only gave him a condescending smile, still cradling the boxes to her chest, “They’re not for you, Ed.”

The golden-haired boy started fuming in comical offense, “You don’t have any taste at all!”

“Hey,” Alphonse noted, “You only have your left ear pierced, Winry. We would’ve only gotten you one if we’d known.”

“No, no. It’s a good reason to get the right one pierced. Thanks, guys.”

“Heh,” Edward mocked as he took a swig from his mug. “It’s no reason to get so excited, you simpleton.”

Alright, Elric. You count on bribing Winry so she wouldn’t beat you with a wrench and then make fun of her when she falls for it.

Leo then finally felt a pair of eyes on her from the middle of the room. She turned her attention to the suit of armor and saw two glowing orbs from who she knew was Alphonse Elric. Leo knew she wasn’t going to be able to hide forever, but she instinctively flinched when she saw that she was noticed.

Al got Winry’s attention and asked her about the back-haired teen standing in the doorway. The young Rockbell smiled and introduced Leo. Said teenager suddenly felt self-conscious. She knew that the two brothers could see her metal prosthetic from their place on the couch. They were probably going to ask her about the automail and jump to conclusions. After all, they had personal experience with sudden missing limbs.

The two brothers asked where she came from. Winry’s responded with, “We never asked.”

Part of Leo was hoping that she wouldn’t have to run into the Elric brothers at all, but she knew that would probably be impossible. She was going to have to interact with them and many other canon characters eventually; might as well get it over with.

\--------------------------------------------------

“So,” Alphonse tried breaking the ice. “Your name is Leo?”

The other teenager nodded.

“Is it short for Leona?” Alphonse asked.

“Or Cleopatra?” Ed guessed.

“No, it’s just Leo.”

“Bit of a weird name for a girl,” Edward commented.

“Oh yeah?” Leo narrowed her eyes at the midget. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, pipsqueak.”

Alphonse flinched because he knew what was going to happen next.

Edward predictably exploded, “WHO ARE YOU CALLIN’ SO SMALL HE CAN RIDE ON THE BACK OF A FLEA?!”

Leo barked out a laugh. It was amusing to see on TV, but actually being able to witness the eldest Elric’s short temper was hilarious.

“What’s so funny?!” Edward snapped and grabbed Leo’s collar, shaking her a bit.

“Get your hands off me, you blond dwarf!”

“Dwarf?! I’m still growin’, you half-pint!”

“Who you callin’ a half-pint beansprout midget?!”

“ENOUGH!” Alphonse shouted in exasperation and mild amusement. “Both of you are short, so shut up!”

“WHAT?!” the two short amputees whirled and shouted at the boy in armor.

“Al, you traitor!” Edward pointed at his little brother with tears falling down his face.

Leo ignored him and snarled at Alphonse, “What the hell? Why you associatin’ me with this loser?!”

Winry had to clamp a hand over her mouth to silence a snicker. So, Leo was only mad because Alphonse classified the two together, not because she was called short.

Of course, Edward snapped back, “Who you callin’ a loser, loser!”

Leo turned back and glared at the Fullmetal Alchemist, “You, ya shrimp! You hard of hearing or is your temper even shorter than your height?”

“AH! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Alphonse sweatdropped when the two began tussling. His older brother was rather infamous for starting pointless fights with everyone.

“Edward!” Winry stepped in and stopped the childish wrestling match. “Leo’s still going through rehabilitation! You can’t just fight someone with no arms!”

“Well she started it!” Edward snarked childishly.

Leo rolled her shoulders, ignoring how the metal prosthetics were limply following the movements, and retorted, “It’s your fault for getting butthurt ‘cause someone tells you the truth.”

“And what truth is that?” Edward snarled.

“You’re short.”

Edward threw a pillow at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo: i'll do it in one  
> Hughes: what the fuck is recovery time?  
> -  
> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	3. Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“Enjoy your trip, sir,” the conductor addressed Leo as she boarded the train to Liore. Leo should be upset that people address ‘her’ as ‘him,’ but she really stopped caring. Besides, it’s not really their fault. Even though Leo was biologically female, she didn’t exactly flaunt it. Hell, she wore chest bindings and masculine body armor and had short black hair that was just long enough to be tied back in an undercut ponytail. Her voice wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t feminine either. And the final nail in the coffin was her name; Leo was a boy’s name. After correcting many people about her gender, Leo just gave up and let people call her a guy. 

She sat alone on the train bench. There were rumors of a priest who could supposedly bring the dead back to life, and the rumors sounded fairly recent. Leo only hoped that she would get there before the Elrics do. While they did do a good job at exposing Cornello, the Homunculi only used it to initiate a bloody rebellion, and Leo was hoping to avoid that by getting to Liore first. The previous three years of Leo’s life have been in Amestris: one in Central recovering from the automail operations and two travelling the country. During that time, Leo upgraded to an alchemized set of armor with a brown utility belt that held over a dozen pouches that held her research notes, money, and different metals and chemicals she could use in alchemical reactions such as bars of magnesium and vials of liquid oxygen. 

Leo has been working small jobs and saving up enough money to make monthly payments to the Hughes’ to compensate for the cost of the automail. She doesn’t use the money for food, hotel, or travel because she eats what she catches, sleeps in the streets, and walks from city to city. The first and last time she’s taken a train was when she left Resembool after her final automail checkup. 

Living without flesh arms have been strange to use. Relying on something you can’t feel was definitely something to get used to. A part of Leo’s mind told her it was unfair for her arms to be taken at all because she never asked for the knowledge from the Portal of Truth. However, life’s not fair, and Leo knows it. The best she can do is just move on with what she has. And what she has is incredible. The information from the Gate not only gave her the secret to transmute without a circle, but also extensive knowledge and understanding of chemistry and physics. She was certainly no genius like the Elric brothers and Izumi Curtis, but, thanks to the Gate, she was smarter than your average alchemist. 

Alchemy is comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. Anybody can destroy and create, but in alchemy, you need to know the chemical composition of whatever you’re trying to break down and build back up. Knowledge of alchemy paired with the crazy science fiction ideas from Leo’s world were undoubtedly a recipe for disaster. And Leo savored all of it. 

Through trial and error, Leo was able to recreate bulletproof armor from her world by managing to reproduce Kevlar’s chemical composition and weaving the molecular chains within the organic fiber to be fully extended and perfectly aligned. Because the bonds were so closely aligned, the armor can take high velocity impacts by absorbing the kinetic energy and dispersing it through the rest of the material. However, the fabric was not enough, as the Kevlar could only stop slow and heavy bullets. It was decent for common handguns, but not enough to take a hit from a rifle. 

By reinforcing the fabric with layers of tungsten carbide, she was able to create almost true bulletproof armor. Tungsten carbide is lightweight and has a hardness second only to diamond. The entire suit was lined with fiberglass and layered with melted aluminum to protect from heat and fire. And just because she felt like it, Leo gave her armor a scale-like design to give it the appearance of reptile hide. 

On the armor itself were carved transmutation circles, each with their own symbols and arrays, and allowed Leo to use alchemy without even needing to clap her hands. She even put circles on the fingertips of her two automail arms that allow her to control the steel’s interatomic attraction, giving her the ability to stick to walls like a magnet. Those patterns not only enhanced her alchemy, but also acted a conduit for her energy supply that was sitting on her back. Alchemists in Amestris were unable of harnessing their ability to their maximum potential because the Dwarf in the Flask was using his Philosopher’s Stone to block their access to the source of their power: the planet. Regular alchemists drew power from the earth; Leo intends to draw from the heavens. 

Alchemists harness the tectonic energy in the ground and uses it to fuel their transmutations. When a transmutation happens, the alchemist uses energy, and, much like how some chemical reactions generate heat, the alchemical reaction generates electricity. 

There were spikes running down the back of Leo’s armor that has a coating of steel and a core of zinc, manganese, and dry cells filled with chemical paste. Leo can control the oxidation and reduction of electrons in the two metals to create energy from the chemical paste. When a transmutation occurs, Leo draws from the energy in those spikes, and the reaction generates electricity, which is collected by the steel like a lightning rod. The electricity recharges the energy in the spikes not unlike batteries, creating a practically unlimited supply of power. But that was just scratching the surface of Leo’s mad scientist mind. 

Humans create a flammable gas from digesting their food called methane, which is released in the form of belches and farts. When Leo does belch, the sparks created from an alchemical reaction ignites the gas and creates a high speed fireball. A rather gross way of creating fire, but at least she isn't useless in the rain.

Leo also created working wings that could connect to the underside of her arms and give her the ability to fly like a bird. When inactive, they were wrapped around her torso to look like a sleeveless trench coat. They kept her airborne in a glide but did not allow her to fly. She had to use alchemy to make that happen. The science of flying does not exist in this world, but it does in Leo's world. 

Planes can fly because of the structure and shape of their wings. A typical wing has a flat bottom and a curved top, so when air molecules come into contact, some are forced downward and are then condensed together on the flat side while others travel to the top. Those molecules on the top are then spread out because the curve of the wing creates a longer distance to travel whereas the molecules on the bottom are condensed because of the flat surface. That makes less pressure on the top relative to the bottom, which creates lift. Planes manipulate air pressure around them to fly using their wing structure, but Leo can just manipulate air pressure with alchemy. Leo found out rather quickly that she is extremely manueverable in the air because she can control air currents directly while planes can only guide them. So she, theoretically, really doesn't need wings at all.

However, Leo also found out that she can not fly and breathe fire at the same time because they are completely different kinds of alchemy, and Leo just can't do two alchemical reactions at once. She added wings shortly after, so she could glide while breathing fire.

The trains were slower than her flight and flying to and from cities didn’t cost her any money. On top of that, she was listed as 'Missing' by the military, and people working at train stations were always looking for runaway children and missing civilians. However, she was, quite frankly, too lazy to fly to Liore today. She has always been flying everywhere since she learned how to do it. It, undoubtedly, annoyed Hughes to no end since nobody could really track what flew in the air, and he didn’t even know Leo could fly. 

Leo has run into the Elric and Al in their travels, and Elric was quick to berate Leo on never going to visit the Hughes’. Leo always shot back that they never went to visit the Rockbells’, and it never failed to shut him up. The last time Leo and the brothers saw each other was four or five months ago, when the two boys were on an assignment, and Al had told her that Hughes was worried about her. Leo had flinched with guilt but was confident it was better to keep her distance. She never told them that, and she had always vanished before they could drag her to Central. 

Her flying everywhere did not go unnoticed. There were rumors of a mysterious creature with huge wings that would fly throughout Amestrian skies at night. People gave her quite a reputation as a folklore creature. Leo was honestly amused at some of the tales she’s heard. She caught people talking about her as if she was a ghost story over a campfire, and she’s come across a few conspiracy theorists thinking that she was an inhuman monster or something. 

The ‘mysterious flying creature’ even eventually got a few names for itself because it needed a ‘proper title.’ Leo’s heard names like 'Monster Bat,' 'Black Banshee,' 'Winged Meteor,' and, her personal favorite, the 'Dragon of Amestris.' The last one was recently given to her after eyewitness reports began claiming the creature could breathe fire. 

The rumors of unknown power gave her a formidable reputation. A mysterious flying creature that could breathe fire was soaring through Amestris at night. There were only speculations on what the thing was or if it was even human, and it was becoming clear that the military was starting to get interested in the rumors. It was annoying but also amusing. However, even with all this new power at her fingertips, Leo still didn’t know what she really needed to know. She didn’t know how or why she was here, and she didn’t know of a way home. It felt like she didn’t know anything, and it infuriated her to no end. No matter how long she searched, it always like she would find answers to questions she never asked. Leo was always learning anything and everything except what she really needs to know. 

She didn’t know how or why she came to Amestrs. She didn’t know how to get back to her world or even if she can go back at all. She didn’t know what her family must be doing right now. Three years is a long time to be missing, and Leo couldn’t help but wonder what they must be going through. Or if time even flowed the same way back in her world. Even though Leo has been in Amestris for three years, would it only be two minutes in America? Would it be two decades? What if she is dropped off in her world in the year 1914? If so, was there really any point to going back is she can’t see her family again? She was broken out of her thoughts when she felt the train stop. She was finally in Liore. The first event that was part of the story was going to change, and, as a result, it would start a domino effect that would lead to a future of uncertainty. Leo hoped that the uncertain future would be a better one than from the original series. 

Leo made the decision almost instantly to try and change this world for the better. She had the power to and knowledge to help, so it was almost a moral obligation to actually help. Great power comes great responsibility, you know? She silently snickered to herself as she exited the train. Leo was not surprised to see that the station was practically empty. Liore was never a hotspot for tourists. 

Shoving her hands in the pockets of her faux trench coat, she trudged through the city, making a beeline for the tallest building, which she knew was the church. Leo wasn’t interested in small talk; she only wanted to get her job done and get out. It was fucking hot in Liore, and the twenty kilograms of automail and armor wasn’t exactly helping. However, the town was practically empty. There was nobody in the streets, nobody in the bars, and even nobody in their homes. Leo began to tread carefully; usually there were many people in Liore, but it’s practically a ghost town now. The teen was interrupted when she heard the excited shouts of a crowd of people. Leo hummed in understanding; they all must be at one of Cornello’s showboating gatherings. 

Leo snorted to herself and continued her way to the church; she couldn’t bother herself with this. She already knew what Cornello was doing and how he was doing it. Leo just needed to prove it to the townspeople. 

Rounding around the church to the side, she began climbing up the wall and crawled into a random window. After Cornello was done with his phony miracles, Leo was going to be waiting for him, ready to expose the fraud. 

\--------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t that difficult to figure out how the radio system worked. There were even labels on the switches and wires to tell what did what. After repurposing them, Leo went to Cornello’s office. She wrapped her helmet around her head and waited. Soon enough, the main in came back from his ceremony to see a teenager sitting on his desk. 

“Oh?” he asked, his voice taking a confused tone. “What are you doing in here, child?”

Leo had to stop the grimace of disgust on her voice at hearing Cornello’s voice. The underlying attitude of deceit and superiority coiled around Leo’s ears. It was nasty. “I need to chat with you about something,” Leo cut right to the chase. “I was given an anonymous tip that there was some conspiracy shit goin’ on in a nowhere city in the east. So, enlighten me.”

“My dear child, I don’t know what you mean,” the fake priest commented slyly. 

“Sure you don’t,” Leo rolled her eyes. “And I’m sure you don’t know what that ring does, too, huh?” 

Cornello kept himself from flinching in surprise, but he did start backing to the door, which did not go unnoticed by Leo. She quickly gathered a flammable gas in her gut and exhaled it. She condensed it with alchemy, and the sparks from the reaction ignited the gas. Leo limited the gas in the transmutation, so only a small blast hit the wall behind Cornello and singed it instead of destroying it.

“Stick around,” Leo smirked cruelly under her helmet, and, with a flash of blue, transmuted the wings that were wrapped around her torso to stretch out behind her. They obeyed her will and flared out threateningly, the patterns, now visible on her armor, glowing ominously. 

Cornello’s beady eyes were glued to the huge appendages appearing, suddenly forgetting about the door, “Huge black wings and the ability to breathe fire…” Leo grinned nastily even though the priest couldn’t see behind her mask. 

“Now I know what you really are,” Cornello glared and took a few steps back, but not without the flames around the room hissing a warning for him to stay were he was. The priest jerked his hand away to avoid getting burned but then narrowed his eyes at the creature on his desk. “You’re the Black Banshee, aren’t you?” 

“Oh, you’ve heard of me?” Leo replied with a condescending tone. When he refused to answer, Leo asked her question, “I’m almost insulted. The Philosopher’s Stone is the most powerful alchemical weapon there is, and you’re using it to make phony miracles. Don’t you know just what kind of potential you have on your finger?” Cornello gained a maniacal grin and repeated what he told Elric in the canon, and, just like canon, Leo broadcasted it to the entire town. 

The priest raised his cane and transmuted it into a machine gun, just like in canon. He hastily fired at the monster from folklore that sat in front of him. With a quick flash of blue, Leo condensed the carbon fiber in her wings before bringing them in front of her, shielding herself from the bullets. She could’ve just transmuted he ground, but that wouldn’t have been as much fun. 

The bullets from the gun ricocheted off of Leo’s wings and hit the walls and the floor around her. Cornello gaped in disbelief when he saw his attacks did nothing to the Dragon. The creature flared out her wings and roared; the sound created a blood-curdling screech that painfully scraped Cornello’s ears like nails on a chalkboard. 

She lunged forward and kicked Cornello in the shins, making him shout in pain and collapse backwards. Before he could get up, Leo threw the priest into the wall under the window and the talons on her boots around Cornello’s ankle. The Dragon broke through the window, carrying the overweight man with her out the building with a few flaps of her wings. She dropped the priest roughly on the ground and in front of the waiting mob. 

The citizens were surprised to see two figures suddenly appear out of a broken window in their church and even more surprised to see that one of them was flying. Cornello shouted when he was dropped, and Leo landed loudly behind him, her claws scraping harshly on the ground. Before the priest could get up, the Black Banshee took Cornello’s hand and pried off the red ring. He wailed pathetically at the loss of his power, and Leo pocketed the faux Philosopher’s Stone in one of the pouches on her belt. 

Before Cornello even had a chance to defend himself from the Dragon, the creature spread her wings and jumped back into the sky. She flew up and through the broken window and back into the church. Leo still wasn’t finished in Liore. 

\--------------------------------------------------

“Oi! Sloth!” Leo barked and shot a blast of fire at the pale creature’s shoulder. 

The huge homunculus felt itself get pushed forward by a shockwave and turned around lazily and glanced at the thing stupid enough to attack him. When his eyes finally found a creature with wings standing a few feet in front of him, the inhuman thing scratched his head in confusion, “What are you?” 

Leo attacked with fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nobody:  
> not a single soul:  
> not even Truth itself:  
> Leo: hey does anybody wanna know why farts are flammable  
> -  
> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	4. Leo vs Sloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo told herself months ago that Sloth needed to die, but that didn’t make the inevitable confrontation any less frightening. The thing was at least three meters tall while she was a puny one hundred fifty centimeters. 

The large homunculus barely regarded her presence before turning around and began digging again. Leo almost sweatdropped. It was like a human acknowledging the presence of an annoying fly before batting it away to continue doing whatever he was doing. Sloth can ignore Leo; that was fine with her. She didn’t need him paying attention; she just needed him to die. 

Leo inhaled before spitting another fireball at the creature. The point-blank aim was a certain hit, and parts of Sloth’s shoulder was destroyed.

“Huh?” Sloth mumbled dejectedly. “You’re starting to annoy me!” 

He raised his arms and brought down his fists to crush Leo, but she quickly dodged to the side to avoid being crushed. Sloth was strong and was certainly not slow. Leo already knew that, so this battle was going to be anything but simple. Her best option was to keep Sloth still and to attack from a distance. 

She clapped her hands and transmuted the ground underneath her. Blocks of earth rose and trapped Sloth’s fists, which were still in the dirt after he tried to crush Leo. That trap would work for any normal person, but Leo is dealing with a homunculus. Sloth lifted his shoulders up and easily broke out of the bindings. 

The creature tried attacking Leo again, but this time she jumped onto the wall behind her to avoid the fists. Sloth tried again before the alchemist could trap him, but Leo climbed higher. When she was high enough on the wall where she was a head taller than the homunculus, she jumped over him and landed on the ground behind him. Before he could turn around, Leo fired another blast that, luckily, struck him in the head. The attack exploded on impact, and Sloth didn’t have an upper jaw or a face anymore. It would regenerate, but it gave Leo some time to form a better strategy. He hasn’t managed to hit her yet, and she’d like to keep it that way. 

Leo didn’t want to attack at short range like this, but her fire blasts were her best shot of putting him down the fastest because they do the most damage. Because she didn’t have great aim with her fire, she had to be careful since they were underground. Too much damage to the walls would cause the cavern to collapse. It would most likely kill Leo but not Sloth, and Leo’s mission would’ve been for nothing. 

If Leo kept attacking close-range, then it was unlikely that Sloth was use his superspeed because they were within ten feet of each other. Now Leo just had to avoid his fists and keep attacking with her fire. 

However, Sloth managed to grab Leo by her left leg before she could escape. He only had two fingers wrapped around her calf, but that was really all he needed.

Leo howled in pain as she felt her leg getting crushed underneath her armor. The homunculus tossed her away, and the alchemist had to straighten herself in the air by her wings to avoid landing on her bloody appendage. As soon as she was on the ground again, she quickly looked over what was left of her leg. 

To her horror, Leo saw that her left leg, up to the knee, had been completely pulped. She saw chunks of muscle oozing blood and shards of armor and bone sticking out of the pile of flesh she called a leg. By Archaeus, it hurt so much more to actually see it. 

It would have to be amputated. 

Leo roared in fury and pain before launching herself into the sky by a few beats of her wings. The circles under her wings lit up, and Leo transmuted the air underneath her. The particles hardened below her into an almost liquid surface beneath the wings. Leo hovered in the air by her wings and glared at the creature that was trying to kill her. 

She sent another blast of fire at the creature, but the force of the blast also knocked her back in the air. The attack hit, and Sloth also stumbled back. The homunculus was able to catch itself while Leo slammed into the other side of the cave. 

Because of his quick recovery, Sloth launched forward with his superspeed. Leo dodged it but was thrown off balance by the wind from when he rushed her. Leo landed on the ground and yelped when weight was put on her damaged leg. 

Sloth got stuck in the wall he was charging at, and Leo felt the cavern give an ominous rumble. She had to end this quickly, but it was doubtful that Sloth was anywhere close to nearing the limit of his Philosopher’s Stone. Leo was really not liking her chances anymore. Maybe challenging Sloth so early in the canon events was rushing it. Sloth had to die, but maybe not so soon. 

Leo was cursing herself for not thinking of a better plan. That damn monster was not going to go down easy, and Leo was being weighed down by her useless leg. She had a Philosopher’s Stone like he did, but Leo had no idea if it was going to rebound because of its dying energy. A weak and fake Stone might be even more dangerous to use than an actual Stone. 

Leo put her palms together and slammed them onto the ground, transmuting the earth to create spikes underneath the homunculus and impale him repeatedly. The attack landed and the homunculus was trapped in place with stalagmites disappearing into his flesh on one side of his and reappearing on the other side. She hissed and more spikes appeared and completely immobilized Sloth. He was still quickly healing, but at least now she had more time to take care of her problem. 

With a cry of rage and determination, she aimed her blade for her leg, right below the knee. With a swift swing, the already dead limb was off and lying on the ground next to her. Because the leg was a bloody mess of muscle and shattered bone, it easily came off. 

The imbalance struck her immediately, and Leo desperately hoped that her little plan would work. 

The alchemist shot forward with her wings and landed on Sloth’s chest. She stuck herself to his chest by transmuting her wings to latch onto his flesh like claws. She could hear the crackle of red electricity as Sloth’s wounds were healing, and he was slowly breaking free from his makeshift prison. 

Leo once again clapped and put her palms on the homunculus’s chest. She deconstructed the monster, and the flesh exploded outwards. Under that monster’s flesh was a glow of red that was still being used to heal Sloth’s wounds. Leo wrapped her automail hand around the Stone and pried it out from its home. 

The effects were instantaneous. What was left of Sloth was suddenly began disintegrating in a pile of ash. Leo knew she didn’t have much time before the homunculus regenerated, so she had to do this quickly. 

Sitting down, she concentrated on the matrix in her mind and reached into the Stone to pull out its energy. She refused to call the energy what it actually was because it made it easier for herself to use it. Leo focused and began rebuilding her leg, flesh, bones, nerves, and all. While she was no doctor, she did know study anatomy plenty since she's been in Amestris. This should work. Hopefully, anyway. 

After the stone rebuilt her leg, it quickly began regenerating the homunculus. Leo noticed this and immediately concentrated on her leg again. It seemed the Stone could only do one thing at once, and because Leo was actively using it, her transmutations were the priority as opposed to the programmed an automatic response of healing Sloth. That meant Leo could take her time, now. 

Once her leg seemed to be as good as it's going to get, the Stone one again began regenerating the homunculus. Leo quickly shot it close range with a fire blast. The remains of Sloth that were starting to emerge were now ashes, and the Stone had to rebuild them again. 

It was reckless to be shooting such a small object with high explosives so close to her, but Leo saw no other option. The blasts were chipping away at the armor on her forearms, but she easily just tossed the Stone to her other arm and continued destroying it. She had to wear down the Stone until it was gone, and that meant using its energy repeatedly. 

Leo began walking down the tunnel that Sloth was digging and in the direction of which she came. She didn’t dare go the other way for fear of running into another homunculus. As she was walking, she used the power form the Stone to close the tunnel behind her, so with every step she took, more of what Father was building was being sealed away. While it was only a small fraction of what Sloth was digging, anything to mess with the Dwarf in the Flask’s plan was a plus in her book.

By the time she made it to the opening she came in, Leo closed the makeshift doorway and stepped up to what stood before her. 

The homunculi had made a small lake of acid at the base of the church to keep people from wandering down there. That lake was still by her feet, giving Leo another idea. She crouched down and used the Stone to erect a small pillar from the bottom of the lake and placed the Stone on it. It was only barely above the acid. Leo attached it to the pillar and sunk it a few inches into the corrosive liquid. The red glow still shone, but the acid was destroying the homunculus faster than he could heal. She just had to watch and wait.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Stone stopped glowing. She brought it back up to the surface to see it begin to disintegrate.

Sloth was finally dead.

However, unknown to Leo, a shadow had watched her battle and had seen her leave through the tunnels Sloth was digging. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------

“Father, I have news,” the shadow spoke to its leader, who was sitting on a throne of stone and machine.

The man known as Father closed the book he was reading and regarded his son with disinterested eyes, “What is it, Pride?”

The creature known as Pride slithered through the hideout and said simply, “Sloth is dead.”

Father raised an eyebrow, “This is interesting. How?”

“He was killed in the tunnels he was digging by an alchemist.”

“And how did a mere human kill my homunculus?”

Pride gained a very slight but sadistic grin, “The human used Sloth’s Philosopher’s Stone against him, and she appears to be a worthy candidate for sacrifice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sloth: huh?  
> Leo: crime punishable by death  
> -  
> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	5. Phase One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

The trek to the train station was undoubtedly an awkward one. Leo was well-aware of the confused and concerned gazes people gave her as she practically limped across town. Killing Sloth was certainly not an easy feat, but it still had to be done. And Leo still had places to be. 

At last, the train station came into view. When she first came to Liore, Leo had taken the train because she was too lazy. Now, she was just too damn tired. She bough the tickets and headed for the boarding station as the few people left the train. Leo ignored them for the most part but froze when she saw two recognizable figures. It was Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric. She caught herself staring and looked away, silently contemplating with herself. Why were they here? She knew why, but why now? Weren’t they supposed to show up tomorrow? The Freezing Alchemist incident forced them to stay behind and defend Central, so why were they in Liore? 

Too many unanswered questions. Leo should’ve known that there would be differences to canon since she’s screwing with the timeline, but she didn’t think it would happen so soon. Leo was cut out of her musings when Al turned to her and waved, Guess it wasn’t that hard to be spotted when the station was practically desolate. “Leo! Hi!” the younger of the two brothers eagerly greeted his old friend and dashed across the station. 

“Hey, Al,” Leo grinned and then addressed the older brother, “Wassup, pipsqueak?” 

Elric’s face reddened and he lunged at Leo,” What’d you say?!” 

Leo put a hand on the ranting boy’s head, “Is it me, or did you shrink since I last saw you?” 

“SHADDUP! YOU’RE SHORTER THAN ME, YOU STUPID LITTLE HALF-PINT!” 

It was true; Leo was five centimeters shorter than Elric. Leo didn’t really mind her height (or rather, lack of height) because it always set Elric off even more to be insulted about his height and even shorter temper by someone who’s smaller than him. 

Elric then deadpanned when he realized Leo was gone. He looked around to see the black-haired teen chatting with his little brother, “So, why are you guys in Liore?” Elric felt as if he’d been turned to stone. Leo just fucking ignored him. 

Al chuckled sheepishly (how Leo managed to just shrug off his older brother’s tantrums like that, he never knew) and answered, eager to not let Elric blow a brain gasket again, “Oh, uh… it’s business.” 

Leo blinked again and feigned curiosity, “Colonel Mustang give you another assignment?” 

While Leo has never met Mustang before, she was willing to give the title proper respect. Both of her parents are veterans from the military, and they worked hard to climb through the ranks, just like Mustang and almost every other soldier. Of course, there were those few who cheated the system, like Yoki and how he used the Youswell Coal Mines to buy his rank and respect in the military. 

Elric scoffed, “As if Colonel Bastard can make me do anything I don’t want to.” 

Al translated, “No, it’s not military business. It’s personal business.” 

Leo hummed thoughtfully, “Ah, you two must be here for the Philosopher’s Stone.” 

The two brothers looked at Leo expectantly. If she’s also heard the rumors, too, then maybe she knows more about it. 

Leo barely hid a smirk, “Sorry to tell ya, but you’ve too late. The Stone was a fake. Besides, it’s shattered now.” It was a lie; the fake Stone was sitting in one of the pouches of her utility belt. Leo was planning of studying it later, but the Elrics didn’t need to know that. 

Elric tried to cover his disappointment, but Leo already knew the truth, “Who the hell said we were here for the Stone?” 

“I did,” Leo replied nonchalantly. “Besides, why else why would you two be here?” 

The station announced that the train was going to depart back to East City, and Leo left the Elrics to head for the tracks. The two brothers started arguing with each other in a whisper, but Leo could still hear what they were saying. 

“Brother, she could’ve been here for the Stone, too! Maybe she can help us get another lead!” 

“Forget it, Al. We don’t know anything about why she’s here and looking for the Stone. For all we know, she could be after it to do something destructive like McDougal back in Central!” 

That made Leo raise an eyebrow. McDougal? Where had she heard that name before? Oh shit. Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist. Leo had wanted to get back to Central to confront McDougal about his discoveries of the nation’s corrupted government. Dammit. If the Elrics were here and they already had the Freezing Alchemist incident, then McDougal was already dead. 

“You shouldn’t jump to conclusions!” Alphonse berated his brother. “Leo’s not a bad person!” 

“What the hell, Al?! You’re way too nice sometimes!” 

“But, brother-!” 

“No, Al! We just got to Liore and we don’t know if Leo’s telling the truth about the Stone being fake!” 

“But what if she is, and she has another lead on the Stone? What if we stay and find out that the Stone is destroyed, and the only person who knows more about the Stone is gone?!” 

Leo just continued to watch, almost amused. Eventually, a whistle signaled the departure of the train. Leo didn’t bother waiting any longer and stepped aboard. She barely caught a glimpse of Alphonse flailing in place before jumping back on the train himself. Elric shrieked at him but was forced to follow him aboard so the two don’t get separated. 

On the train, Leo plopped on a random seat next to the window. The brothers were still arguing with each other. Elric was yelling at Al for getting them both back on the train when they were finally in Liore. The younger brother, however, only tried ignoring the other’s ranting and walked up to Leo. 

Al somehow looked sheepish and scratched the back of his helmet, “Do you mind if we sit with you?” 

Leo blinked but responded, “Do you want. But the car is pretty much empty, anyway. So you don’t have to sit by me.” 

Elric plopped down in the seat in front of her and grumbled, “Don’t need to be such a bitch about it.” 

Leo whipped her head over to glare at the eldest Elric and hissed, “I do whatever the fuck I want.” 

Alphonse sat down next to his brother and scolded him, “Brother! Don’t be so rude. Leo is being nice and letting us sit with her.” 

Elric ignored Alphonse and snapped at Leo, “What’s your deal? You got a problem with me or something?” 

Leo didn’t break eye contact, “And what if I do? You sat your ass in my booth when the rest of the damn train is empty.” 

“It’s not your fucking booth. Get off your high horse, you don’t own the damn train.” 

“I was here first so it sure as hell is my booth.” 

“Yeah, right.” 

“Shut your trap, pipsqueak.” 

Leo’s and Elric’s eyes narrowed. Before Al could stop him, the gold-haired alchemist lunged forward and snatched the collar of Leo’s coat, growling in her face, “Who are you callin’ a pipsqueak, you puny punk?!” 

Leo’s face twisted in a sadistic smile, “You! Ya little red runt!” 

Alphose felt completely out of place. Why must his hotheaded brother antagonize everyone? It was bad enough that he picked fights with his Commanding Officer and Granny Pinako. He’s always had to pry him off of random civilians who call him short, and he has to do it again. The boy in armor grabbed his older brother in exasperation and pushed him back into his seat. Both Leo and Elric stopped insulted each other, but the glares didn’t let up. 

Elric crossed his arms and grumbled again. He looked at Leo, only for a second, before tearing his eyes away in annoyance. 

Leo had no idea why Elric’s presence alone pissed her off, but, by Archaeus, she just wanted to wring his neck every time she saw him. His very aura oozed cockiness. Leo whipped out her small black notebook and began to skim the words absently, “What do you want, short-stack?” 

Elric immediately bristled and shot up to attack Leo again, but Al held him down and began asking questions to the other alchemist sitting in front of him, “You said there was a Philosopher’s Stone in Liore?” 

“I said there was a fake Stone in Liore,” leo repeated what she said at the station. “Besides, it’s shattered now.” 

“What do you know about the Philosopher’s Stone?” Elric asked impatently, all malice and short rants seemingly forgotten. 

Leo put on a curious expression, “Why are you guys after the Stone?” 

The two brothers wore somber expressions. Al’s helmet tipped down, almost as if he was in mourning. Elric’s right fist clenched on his knee, “We need it to reclaim something we lost.” 

His amber gaze looked up at Leo, and he asked her, “Why are you after the Stone?” 

“I never said I was,” Leo answered, not looking up from her small black book. 

“Then,” Alphonse started, a creak of metal signaling that he turned his helmet to look at the girl in front of him. “Why are you in Liore?” 

Leo snorted, “I overheard some interesting rumors in Liore that I wanted to check out. A priest was claiming he could bring the dead back to life.” 

The two brothers visibly flinched at that, and Leo just pretended she didn’t see it, “He was using an imitated Philosopher’s Stone to perform phony miracles to trick the civilians. He claimed he was drawing power from the Sun God when he was just using enhanced alchemy. He was creating shit from nothing, turning organic matter into inorganic matter, and even made some kind of lion chimera right in front of me.” 

“Incredible,” Al commented. 

“You said it was an imitation?” Elric asked. 

Leo put her notebook away and put her hands behind her head, “Yup, I managed to break it with some brute force.” 

Once again, it was a lie, but Leo quickly changed the subject before the brothers could keep up their interrogation, “You know, you’ve been looking for the Philosopher’s Stone for years but never really found anything. You ever consider using other methods for getting your bodies back?” 

They jolted slightly and eyed the girl in front of them. They never told them that they were after the Stone, and they never told her they were trying to restore their bodies. But a chilling thought went through Elric’s mind. Did Leo leave the Hughes’ to help the Elrics? The thought made his stomach twist in guilt. 

“By the way, Leo,” Al got her attention. 

She hummed in response. 

“We’re not going to let you get away this time,” Al’s helmet could not display any emotions, but his tone of voice conveyed confidence and determination. Leo’s face twisted, unintentionally displaying her distress. 

“Why are you so against going back to visit the Hughes’?” Al asked her, obviously noticing Leo’s discomfort. He and his older brother didn’t have a home to go home to, but Leo did. Hughes made it very clear that the girl was always welcome, but she never visited. Every time the Lieutenant Colonel saw the Elric brothers, he would always bombard them with questions about Leo’s whereabouts. He knew that they travel a lot, so he was hoping, by some miracle, that they would have seen any sign of Leo. 

“I’m busy,” she answered honestly and looked out the window, not wanting to say anything else. However, Elric was having none of it. 

“Bullshit,” he hissed vehemently. “That’s no excuse to avoid your family. And leaving them little packages every month with cash in it, you were practically taunting him! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” 

Leo flinched, a bit startled, “What’s the problem? I gave back all the money I owe.” 

“The hell are you talking about?” 

“Hughes paid for my automail. I payed back all the money I owe him.” 

The two brothers looked at each other in disbelief. Elric didn’t know if Leo was being difficult or was genuinely obvious. Al asked hesitantly, “You think Hughes only wanted you back so you could pay back the money for your automail?” 

Leo cocked her head to the side, “Well, yeah. Automail is expensive, and I didn’t want Hughes to think I was just using him for money. So, I payed him back.” “You were just…” Elric trailed off in dumb silence. “Then why did you suddenly stop sending money?!” 

“Because I was out of debt. The last time I left cash was when I finally payed enough for the automail I got. So, what’s the problem?” 

Al was the one who shouted at Leo this time, “Because you suddenly stopped without any explanation! At least when you were leaving money, he knew you were alive! Hughes waited and prayed every month that he would get another package from you! But when it suddenly stopped, Hughes and Gracia went sick with worry! They thought something was seriously wrong! They thought you were dead!” 

Leo blinked, confused and surprised, “…what?” 

“What do you mean ‘what’?!” Elric exploded. “Are you so fucking stupid that we need to spell it out for you?! You-!” 

“I-I know what you said,” Leo stuttered. “But I just don’t get it. What do you mean he was worried? Why would he be worried?” 

“You’re his family, Leo!” Al snapped. “Why does that mean so little to you?!” 

Leo didn’t respond. She didn’t want to leave, but it felt like it was the best option. She needed to travel and learn about alchemy and the country. Being in the Investigations Department, Leo’s strange interest in the country would undoubtedly allow Hughes to connect the dots on the nationwide conspiracy theory much earlier than in the original timeline. It would create too many unpredictable variables. It would be much safer for Leo and everyone else if she was away from important canon characters unless absolutely necessary. But nobody needed to know that. Not yet. 

She didn’t say anything for the rest of the train ride, unable to come up with a response. Elric was only peeved with her sudden silence, and Al only sighed, understanding Leo wasn’t willing to talk anymore. 

Finally, the Central City station came into view, and Leo could feel the two brothers’ gazes boring into her skull. They really weren’t going to let her go without a fight. Leo sighed; she really couldn’t afford to be found now. They all needed to go to East City, but the Elrics dragged Leo off that station to board the next train to Central, where the Hughes’ family was. 

When the train stopped, Leo yawned and stepped off. She still felt the overbearing presence of a suit of armor beside her, practically not wanting to give any breathing room. She was about to walk away from the station, but Al’s hand latched onto her shoulder and didn’t let her take a single step, “I told you, we’re not letting you go this time.” 

Leo grunted and tried shrugging off his hand, but Al was persistent. 

When Elric finally stepped off the train with his suitcase, he noticed Al holding Leo, not letting her flee. He gave her a disapproving frown and told her they were going straight to the Hughes’ house. 

The two brothers stood on either side of her. Al stood on Leo’s left and had an unmoving hand on her shoulder, while his brother was on Leo’s right. They wandered through the streets of Central, sometimes turning down different alleys and roads on the way to the Hughes’. 

Leo didn’t know what to think of herself when she realized she didn’t really know her way around anymore. She did occasionally wander the city to go on walks when she was in the middle of her automail rehabilitation, but ever since fleeing Central, she never really came back unless it was in the air and at night. 

Speaking of which, Leo really needed to find a way to escape. Easier said that done. The other two alchemists were not going to be easy to lose. If she made a run for it, they would catch her. If she tried trapping them, they would just easily break through with alchemy. If she tried escaping through the sewer, they would just chase her, and there weren’t many routes to go below the city. Leo’s mind raced as she tried to think of a solution. 

The only thing she could think to do to escape would be to fly away. But it’s broad daylight out right now, and the Dragon of Amestris only appeared at night. No doubt, the military and conspiracy theorists would have a field day if it was to be seen in the daytime and in the Capital of the country. 

Leo scowled; she really didn’t have any other choice. She quietly clapped her hands, but the ringing sound echoed to the other two alchemists, making them look in the direction of the noise in confusion. Leo quickly put her right hand on the armored hand that was holding her shoulder. The metal burst into shreds and the two brothers jumped in surprise. Leo bolted. 

“Hey!” Elric shouted and dropped his case, chasing Leo through a nearby alley. The black-haired teen jumped and latched onto the wall, using the transmutation circles on her fingertips to climb up the surface. Elric momentarily blinked in confusion before clapping his hands together, transmuting the wall that Leo was climbing. Before the reaction could reach her, Leo had already made it to the top. 

Elric cursed and transmuted the ground beneath him, forcing it to lift him up and onto the building that Leo was using to escape. 

Leo jumped from the roof to the next building and down into another alleyway. She hoped that Elric wouldn’t be able to tell which way she went because there were so many nearby buildings and so many possible escape routes. It seems to have worked because she heard an angry shout of “DAMMIT!” and Elric angrily punching the roof he was standing on. Without looking back, Leo kept running and eventually found the edge of the city. 

Even then she didn’t stop running; she needed to get far enough from the city to take off without being spotted. Leo had to get to East City before nightfall. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Brigadier General Basque Gran sent a wave of alchemical energy through the ground and trapped the serial killer. "Hmph. That wasn't too difficult." 

He scoffed and walked towards the iron prison where he was holding his attacker. However, he was taken by surprise when a hand suddenly burst from the box and latched onto his head. 

"What?!" he shouted, his voice muffled by the hand grabbing his face. "How?!" 

"Now you perish," the scarred man muttered, and a screech was suddenly heard tearing through the air, making him pause and look around in bewilderment. The sound was like a long and harsh whistle, and it only got louder. Scar looked up and saw a dark creature with wings soar above his head fly across the star-lit sky. It was so fast that if you blinked, you could possibly miss it. 

Scar quickly snapped out of his stupor and focused on his target again. But before he could send a wave of energy through his arm and destroy the State Alchemist, the screeching sound turned around and bolted right towards him. A blast of fire exploded right above his head, and Scar stumbled back. 

Another blast hit the top of the box, and iron was sent flying in opposite directions in response. The top of the prison was wide open, and Scar was a sitting duck. The Dragon sent another blast from its new position on the roof and hit the ground next to Scar. 

Quickly realizing his vulnerable position, Scar broke through the iron box on the opposite side of where Gran was sitting and ran for the shadows. 

The Dragon roared; the sound was a terrible blood-curdling cry that shook the skies as it watched its prey flee. 

Basque Gran quickly got up and glared through the box and watched his would-be killer flee form the Dragon. 

"Coward," he spat on the ground before looking up to see the creature still sitting on the roof and almost startled when he saw that the Dragon was watching him, too. The thing was staring straight at him. It was too dark, and the Dragon was too far away, but Gran could identify a few features about the mysterious winged creature. 

Ignoring the shudder he felt at seeing the creature just staring at him, Gran was able to see large wings that folded and hovering above its head, and there were spikes protruding from its head like horns. However, what he didn;t expect was the size of the creature. It was puny. If Gran didn't know any better, he would say the thing was a gargoyle. Eventually, the thing let out another cry and jumped off the roof. The wings outstretched, and the Dragon soared into the sky. 

The Iron Blood Alchemist could only stare for a few moments as he watched the thing disappear into the night. He finally turned out of the alleyway and headed back for Central Headquarters. The Fuhrer would want to know about this. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Colonel Roy Mustang was having an off day. Hell, every day is an off day if there is paperwork involved. He once again berated himself when he thought about the mountains of work that needed to get done because he didn’t do it earlier in the week. He sighed. No matter how many times he told himself that, he kept procrastinating. 

He yawned as he left his office to get to his car. Abruptly, he stopped and looked around. There were a pair of eyes on him, but he didn’t know where. Temporarily shrugging it off, Mustang got into his car and began to drive. However, the eyes never left him, and when he stepped out of the car and into his house, the feeling intensified. There was something out there, but Mustang made sure to look around for suspicious bystanders or other cars that could be tailing him, but there was nobody. 

He stepped into his house and immediately locked the door, paranoia flooding his senses. He slipped his on his ignition gloves and crept through his house. A flash of blue got his attention, and he quickly went to follow it. What unnerved him was that the crackle came from his bedroom. The intruder was an alchemist, apparently, and Mustang had no doubt that the alchemist was the one who was following him to his house. 

Mustang kicked open the door and snapped. A small stream of fire propelled towards the intruder, intending on giving the intruder second degree burns. The bastard deserves more for daring to rob the Flame Alchemist, but the first snap was just a warning. 

However, he openly gaped at seeing the fire sit harmlessly on the intruder. Mustang went for a second snap, but a hiss came from the thing, and a blast of fire shot towards Mustang and hit the back of both of his gloves. The transmutation circles were scorched, making it impossible to further attack the intruder. 

Mustang stepped back. This creature, whatever the hell it was, was somehow immune to fire and attacked with fire. It was then that Mustang noticed the wings above its head, and scales that were illuminated by the orange flames sitting on its shoulders. His thoughts stopped when he finally understood what he must be looking at. He’s heard the exaggerated folktales. Hell, he’s seen the silhouette of the creature from the rumors, but he was never really able to believe it. But, yet here it was, breaking into his house. 

Mustang felt paralyzed. Why was it here? Why did it follow him to his house? 

The creature was crouched on his bed, the flames from Mustang’s attack was still sitting harmlessly on its scales. It spoke, the voice was a cold hissing sound that froze his veins uncomfortably, “Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, correct?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	6. Promise of Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Mustang uneasily backed up to his bedroom door. This creature, whatever the hell it was, was undoubtedly a very real threat. Its reputation was proof of that. While he thought most of it was mere speculation when he first heard it (a monster with huge bat-like wings and can breathe fire), he saw proof it can do everything it was rumored to be able to do. He saw a silhouette of a bat tear through the sky and blow a hole in the fort of a sex-trafficking ring that they’ve been hunting for months. Most military have also seen it, so Mustang didn’t think he was just imagining a flying bomb destroy a building in mere seconds. But why was it here? A thought crossed his mind, and his face paled. Was the Dragon the thing responsible for the murders of State Alchemists around the country? Was that why it was here? But if it was, why would it follow him to his house? And why was it just sitting there? 

The creature was hunched over, crouched on Mustang’s bed with its wings jutted out above its head. Blue sparks occasionally ran through its dark scales, but the creature never moved. The sight only unnerved Mustang more. What was the Dragon planning? 

“Calm down,” the creature spoke, and was that amusement in its voice? “I need to talk to you. And I think you’ll be interested in what I have to say.” 

That statement seemed to only make Mustang more on edge. Why did the creature want to talk to him of all people? And why now? If it wasn’t a threat by its reputation, it would be by its knowledge. Mustang had no doubt in his mind that the creature before him had information that was more dangerous than any gun. However, the creature somehow looked disinterested, as if it wasn’t on the opposing side of the Flame Alchemist. Either it didn’t know who it was dealing with, or it didn’t care. It was most likely the latter if its reputation was anything to go by. This strange, almost inhuman creature was most likely fully confident that he could take on the Flame Alchemist and survive. Hell, it was probably thinking it could win. 

“What I’m about to say will sound crazy,” the creature spoke up at last. 

“I’ve seen my fair share of crazy,” Mustang replied. “If you think you can change my mind, be my guest.” 

The thing snorted in amusement, despite the tense atmosphere, “Two hundred cens says I can blow whatever crazy you got outta the water.” 

Mustang grunted, trying to fight back amusement. It felt as if he was talking to a regular person and not a creature from folklore. Now that he was no longer in a state of shock, Mustang could see the human under those black scales and large wings. The shape was clearly of a human, but it looked to be only under one-hundred sixty centimeters. The wings took up most of the overbearing presence but the dragon itself was puny. Its arms stood in front of its crouching legs, and the hands themselves (while they had talons on the fingers) were unmistakably human appendages. On the scales themselves, were lines that ran though the hide were alchemical patterns and arrays, and Mustang saw a flash of blue from where the creature appeared. The Dragon could use alchemy.

The Dragon was human.

“Have you heard of the Philosopher of the East?” Dragon asked in a serious tone. 

“I’ve heard of him, yes,” Mustang answered. “He came from the Great Desert and taught Amestrians alchemy.” 

“He, and one other individual, were the only survivors from the destruction of Xerxes.” 

Mustang’s eyes widened, “I thought no one survived.” 

“Xerxes was destroyed by ancient alchemy. One of the survivors, the Philosopher of the East, traveled to what in now known as Amestris and taught people alchemy.”

“Who is this other individual who survived Xerxes?” 

“Van Hohenheim.” 

Mustang stiffened; he recognized that name. He’s been trying to hunt down that man for years. Was this the same Van Hohenheim or someone with a different name? “Are you suggesting that Hohenheim is somehow over four hundred years old?” 

“Yup,” Dragon responded nonchalantly, almost as if she was discussing the weather. “Four hundred years ago, Van Hohenheim met a creature called the Dwarf in the Flask. The two of them learned alchemy together. Xerxes was destroyed because the Dwarf in the Flask wanted to turn himself into a Philosopher’s Stone. And the ingredients for a Philosopher’s Stone is human life.” 

Horror flashed across his face as the pieces fit together. He addressed what he just learned, “This Dwarf in the Flask turned everyone in Xerxes into a Philosopher’s Stone.” 

Dragon nodded, “And Hohenheim was there when it happened. Because he and the Dwarf in the Flask were acquaintances, the creature shared the leftover energy with him. It’s how he is over four hundred years old and how he is still around today.” 

“Do the Elric brothers know about this?” Mustang asked uneasily. 

“Not yet, and it’s best they don’t know for right now,” Dragon replied, just as uneasy, maybe more so. 

“And why’s that? What’s stopping me from calling them right now and telling the truth about the Philosopher’s Stone?” Mustang wanted to know how this strange vigilante’s mind worked. She did have dangerous and interesting information, but he still didn’t know what she was planning to do with that information. 

“I’ll get to that. Now, about this Dwarf in the Flask creature. Its goal is to become the ‘perfect being,’ and to do that, it tried separating its seven deadly desires, which took the form of homunculi.” 

“Wait a second,” Mustang was already fed up with this vigilante’s lies. Philosopher’s Stones being made from live humans, the truth of Xerxes, two immortal beings, and now homunculi? Dragon was pulling every impossible idea every alchemist could ever think of. Yet, a part of Mustang’s mind told him that this was too crazy to not be true. “Homunculi? As in artificial humans?” 

Dragon nodded, “There are seven of them, each with their own smaller Philosopher’s Stone. Not only can they regenerate from any wound, fatal or not, they have their own individual superhuman ability. Lust, her nails can stretch and pierce any substance. Gluttony, he can eat anything. Greed, he can turn his skin into a near indestructible hide. Envy, he can shapeshift into anyone and anything. Wrath, he can see any move you make before you make it. Sloth, he has superhuman strength, speed, and stamina. And Pride, who controls shadows.” 

Mustang felt his headache grew stronger. What a freak show. 

When Dragon asked for a map of Amestris, Mustang was thrown off, but he complied. The Flame Alchemist rolled out a map, and Dragon asked him to recount the events in Amestris that were accompanied with violence. To Mustang’s horror, each massacre that was explained showed a very clear pattern on the map. Finally, when the Colonel got to the Ishvalan War of Extermination, Dragon asked an unsettling question, “Don’t you think it’s odd that a child was accidentally shot and killed in Ishval, when there so happened to be an already tense relationship between the locals and the military?” 

Mustang tensed. What a change in topic, but, dammit, did it send a chill down his spine. The idea that these bloody events were planned and coordinated was unsettling enough, but he now has an idea of who was behind the cause of the massacres, “It is strange, but what does the war have anything to do with the Dwarf in the Flask or these homunculi?” 

“I just told you one of them was a shapeshifter.” 

All the blood in Musatng’s body froze. He was, in fact, not stupid. He knew dam well what the Dragon was implying. Unbelievable as it was, but more pieces began falling into place. The shapeshifter took the form of an Amestrian soldier and shot and killed an Ishvalan child to initiate a war. He always found it strange that a trained soldier accidentally shot a child, but there was no other explanation. Until now. 

“I’m a soldier, I don’t mind war,” Mustang growled behind his steepled fingers. Dragon frowned. He did mind, and the vigilante knew it. Hell, it bothered Mustang so much that he was planning on putting himself and all other State Alchemists who were involved in the Ishvalan Civil War on trial as war criminals. Dragon’s going to have to talk to him about that later. “But what I do mind is senseless slaughter.” 

The vigilante continued as if Mustang hadn’t said anything and used a clawed hand to connect the dots that have been highlighted on the map as the locations of genocides. “In a few months, an eclipse will hit the country, and the Dwarf in the Flask will activate the transmutation circle to is all of Amestrians’ citizens and turn them into a Philosopher’s Stone. He will use the power from that Stone to open the Gates of Truth and absorb the power of God.” 

It was deathly quiet. The world seemed to pause around them. It was certainly a lot to take in, but now the question was: would Mustang believe her?

Finally, Mustang broke the silence, “Will he succeed?” 

The Dragon only sighed and looked away. 

Mustang gasped, “He will?” 

It was technically the truth. The Dwarf in the Flask did take all the souls in Amestris, but Hohenheim returned them. However, Mustang didn’t need to know that. It would probably be best if the stakes were raised higher, so he knows failure is not an option. 

Dragon clenched a fist, silently reveling in hearing the creak of cold steel as she willed her automail to show her determination, “He won’t this time.” 

Mustang felt paralyzed. This mysterious vigilante, whoever the hell she is, just told him the apocalypse is coming and has already happened, at least to her. What did this mean? Was Dragon somehow from the future? He was prohibited from thinking on it too long when the supposed ‘time traveler’ started speaking again. “I’ve already started taking apart his plans. One of his homunculi, Sloth, was responsible for building the tunnels that would be used as the transmutation circle that the Dwarf in the Flask is going to use during the eclipse.” 

“Why past tense?” Mustang asked. 

“It’s just as I said, he ‘was.’ I managed to catch and kill him when I was in Liore.” 

“I thought you said homunculi can’t die,” Mustang pointed out. 

“I never said that,” Dragon replied. “I said they can regenerate from any wound. They use energy from a smaller Philosopher’s Stone to heal, but the energy in those Stones are finite. If you exhaust the energy in the Stone, you kill the homunculus. In other words, you just have to keep killing them until they stay dead.”

”How many times did you kill Sloth before he stayed dead?” Mustang asked. If what Dragon says is true, then he had to know all he could about what kind of enemy they were facing.

“I never bothered to count,” Dragon responded honestly. “Sloth was the easiest to kill. He may be strong, but he’s also incredibly stupid. The others won’t be that easy to kill.”

Dragon rubbed her claws hands together, as if debating what to say next, “One more thing. Don’t trust anybody If they catch you snooping, they will kill you or someone close to you.”

Why tell me all this?” Mustang asked.

“Because somebody needs to take the title of Fuhrer after I overthrow the government,” Dragon replied smoothly, and Mustang instantly understood why the vigilante had come to him with this information. He sure as hell understood the implications, but the question now was why she trusted Mustang for the title of the leader of the country. 

“You know,” Mustang started. He had more questions about his folktale creature than ever before. He had information about the country itself, but about the Dragon of Amestris? He didn’t know a damn thing. “There are people who won’t approve of me taking the title. There are others who are ambitious as I am to become Fuhrer. General Armstrong is the first who comes to mind who won’t pass up the opportunity.” 

“As much as I respect General Armstrong, I do not think she is best for the title. She’s more suited fro battle than political paperwork and peace treaties. You, on the other hand-” 

Mustang let his eyebrow twitch, “Oh, and I suppose I’m good for only paperwork and not for battle?” 

“Quite frankly, I don’t think you’re good for either,” Dragon gave him an invisible cheeky grin. “Considering you’re useless in the rain, and you procrastinate on your paperwork.” 

Mustang twitched again. 

Dragon snorted and turned, preparing to leave the way she came in. But before she made it to the window, she called over her shoulder, “Be careful who you talk to. The Dwarf in the Flask created the country, created the military. He has informants in places you least expect them.” 

She hoped the message would hit home. Dragon mentioned that she was planning of overthrowing the government, and now she told Mustang why. The monster that was planning on devouring the country was controlling the government. Never trust anyone. You never know who works for the Dwarf in the Flask and who is really looking out for the country. 

And with that ominous message, Dragon began walking towards the window. 

“Why come to me?” Mustang’s voice made Dragon pause before her hand could touch the wall. “If the military is so corrupt, why trust a member of the military?” 

Dragon turned around to see Mustang staring at her, waiting for her to make the next move. She had dangerous information, and it was clear that she wasn’t telling him everything even though she trusted him enough to explain this impossible plot in the first place. 

“I don’t trust just any member of the military; I trust Roy Mustang,” Dragon finally replied. “You’re a good person. I believe that, Hawkeye believes that, Hughes believes that, why can’t you?” 

The man looked startled. He clenched his eyes shut before answering, “If you already know so much, then why do you bother asking?” 

It was clear that Mustang was quickly becoming frustrated with the Dragon. She honestly couldn’t blame him. It was bad enough that she was an encyclopedia to the true history and future of Amestris, but to also have knowledge of your personal past was invading and almost violating. Nevertheless, she still answered. She tried looking him in the eye but couldn’t; her gaze swiveled to the corner of the room at the last second, “War changes people. You’re forced to do things you wouldn’t normally do.” 

“But nobody forced me to do anything,” Musatng said. “Nobody put a gun to my head and forced me to kill those people. People from my own country. So why the hell do you think I should become Fuhrer?” 

Dragon found the courage to meet his onyx glare with her masked own, “A life doesn’t equal a life. If you think you need to atone for your actions, don’t take the easy way out and die. If you think you’re a monster, don’t run from it, change it. Change this nation so that a massacre like that never happens again.” 

Stepping up and crouching on the windowsill, Dragon left another piece of advice, “You have to understand the value of what you have while you still have it. Because you never know when it might slip away, and you’ll realize what could’ve been and what you could’ve done to save it. You’ll be left with only regrets, and I think that’s the saddest thing of all.” 

Dragon let the message sink in before she turned to fly away. She knew that Mustang understood what she meant. Tragedy happens, and soldiers like Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hughes knew that more than anybody. Hopefully, it’ll be enough reason for the flame Alchemist to accept that dragon just wants to help. 

Mustang was prevented from thinking too much on it because Dragon continued to talk, “By the way, Fullmetal and his brother are interested in bio-alchemy. The think it may have some leads on getting their bodies back. And they resolved the Liore case for you. If I were you, I’d help them out this once so Fullmetal doesn’t hold a favor over your head for too long.” 

\--------------------------------------------------

“Well done on the Liore case, you two,” Mustang said as he sat in his private office the next day. 

The other two occupants in the room froze; what was he talking about? The Elric brothers went to Liore but were only there for the rumors for the Philosopher’s Stone. Did something happen in Liore? They remembered what Leo told them on the train. There was a situation in Liore, but she was the one to resolve it. 

“I understand you’re interested in bio-alchemy, Fullmetal,” Mustang continued. “It may have some leads on getting your bodies back.” 

Elric and Al looked at each other in confusion. They were never interested in alchemy on living creatures. Ever since their failed human transmutation, using alchemy on another creature was unthinkable. However, they were also reminded of how Leo said something similar on the train. She said that the Philosopher’s Stone may not be the only way of getting their bodies back to normal. 

And about the Liore case, the two of them may have gone to that city, but Leo was the one who was leaving as they were arriving. She must’ve been the one to do anything. Did Leo set this up somehow? However, Elric couldn’t bring himself to worry about Leo. It was her damn choice and her damn fault. If she offered a possible solution for himself and his brother for getting their bodies back, then he really didn’t have much to complain about. 

“It might help if you consulted a specialist,” Mustang began digging through one of the drawers in his desk. He pulled out the file of the man he wanted to recommend, “Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	7. Ishavalan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

The Dragon stood in the shadows of the house, waiting for the serial killer. 

“I wonder why no one’s capable of understanding me,” the former State Alchemist asked his deformed daughter. “Nina.” Lightning flashed as the Dragon heard controlled footsteps enter the room, and a man stood across the two sad figures in the light of the window. “You’re Shou Tucker, correct?” the man asked rhetorically. 

“Who are you?” Tucker stood up in a panic. “Not military… Wh-Who are you?! How did you get in here? There were military police out front!” 

“Foolish alchemists who turn their backs on the ways of God,” Scar pulled his hand back and attacked. However, he was stopped from reaching the former Sewing-Life Alchemist by a pillar of wood from the floor that, taking the form of a clawed hand, latched onto his forearm and halted him before he could reach Tucker. Both were surprised, and Tucker let out a yelp of shock as the floor beneath him shifted and pulled him away from his attacker, making room for the Dragon to take his place. 

Tucker deserved death, Dragon knew that, but dying at the hands of Scar was too light of a punishment. Tucker created the chimera for power and respect. He should live long enough to know that the only thing he did was going to make the State hate and disgrace him. He was going to be put in front of a firing squad and killed by the people he was trying to impress. 

“Another alchemist,” Scar mused, his right arm still trapped in the wooden hand. “God shall not judge you today, but if you interfere, you shall be eliminated.” 

Dragon responded just as confidently, “The State takes care of its own. Leave now.” 

“Are you a State Alchemist?” Scar asked. 

“I’m on my own,” Dragon replied. 

“Turn back or you shall be judged.” 

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Leo retorted as she flared her wings out, and Scar’s face lit up in recognition. He didn’t hesitate any longer; he now knew what he was dealing with. The Ishvalan’s alchemy surged in his bindings, and the wooden arm that was holding him shattered. 

Dragon let out an animalistic growl and lit up her armor. She deliberately put too much power into the transmutation to create a blinding light to disorient Scar. It worked, and the Ishvalan stumbled back. Dragon only managed a few seconds, but that’s all she needed. The creature hissed out a stream of fire that scorched the serial killer. The flames cut down to his second layer of skin, giving him second degree burns, and Dragon transmuted the floor beneath Scar again. The wood shifted and threw Scar out the window. The sound of glass shattering sent Tucker to flee in panic, and Dragon threw her wings around the chimera to shield her. 

When the chaos cleared, the window was shattered with Scar lying on the ground, shards of glass lodged in his arms and shoulders. He had brought his forearms up to try and shield himself form the impact on the large window. Tucker looked up to see the Dragon of Amestris was gone, as well as his chimera. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Mustang ran a hand down his face, barely suppressing a groan as he walked through the front door to his house. He could do without this entire day. Hell, he could do without this entire week. First, the Dragon appeared in his house and tells him about an impossible conspiracy theory, then one of the State Alchemists under his command turns his daughter into a chimera. 

Speaking of Dragon and the chimera, a serial killer had just tried to kill Tucker and the chimera but was supposedly protected by the Dragon. The former Sewing-Life Alchemist claimed a creature with huge wings and the ability to breathe fire had protected him but stolen his chimera, and some soldiers were unnerved about it. They had heard of the creature known as the Dragon, and nobody knew anything about it; what it was, what it wanted, why it appeared, nobody knew. So, it suddenly stealing a botched chimera couldn’t be anything but bad news. 

He entered the house, hung up his drenched trench coat, and closed the door. Before he could really relax, a noise rustled form his living room. Was dragon back? As he quietly moved through his house, the noise rustled again; it sounded like a clumsy or drunk robber searching the place for valuables. So, it was unlikely it was Dragon again. 

If it really was a robber this time, drunk would explain why they were here, then, because you have to be drunk or suicidal to try robbing the Flame Alchemist. However, the sight before him made him freeze in disbelief. Sitting in font of him was a white dog with a long mane of brown hair. It was the chimera that recently went missing from Tucker’s home. Reports say that the Dragon stole it, so where was she now? 

He was broken out of his thoughts when he saw the poor creature stumble towards him. He was prepared to call for other military personnel before e spotted a note hanging from the chimera’s neck. In jagged handwriting, the note read: _I apologize for the inconvenience, but I need a place to safely hie the chimera because I have unfinished business elsewhere. I’ll return in about four days, so please don’t report Nina to the military._

Mustang barked out an unamused laugh. The note was obviously from Dragon, but he felt a rush of annoyance. Why should he watch over a botched chimera for someone he doesn’t know? He wrote a message on the back of the note on the chimera’s neck and left for his bedroom.

_What’s stopping me form reporting to the military?_

After changing out of his military uniform, he returned to the chimera (who was crawling around the room in discomfort and curiosity) and blinked when the note he left was gone and another now took it place. What was written on it made his stomach drop. 

_Riza Hawkeye has the secrets of Flame Alchemy._

This was blackmail, and Mustang knew it. But there was something about the Dragon that didn’t strike Mustang as the cold-hearted strategist type, but the note turned his opinion of her. Dragon warned him of this conspiracy theory out of selflessness to help the country, and Mustang was willing to accept that. The resolve was real, and the determination was there. 

On that thought, it gave Mustang a clearer picture of just who Dragon was. Perhaps she was so desperate to not let the chimera go to a research facility for experiments, that she would threaten blackmail somebody else to keep the chimera away from it. His thoughts were slightly eased at this. Dragon was bluffing, but Mustang was curious as to why she was protecting the chimera. She must know that separating a perfect chimera is impossible, and a military research facilty was the creature’s inevitable fate, so why is Dragon so adamant of protecting a lost cause? 

He left another note and never received a reply. 

_That won’t be necessary._

\--------------------------------------------------

Leo roared and tackled the Ishvalan, throwing him away from Elric. 

He skidded back in surprise as Leo took a stance in front of the gold-haired boy. Said boy looked up in surprise at seeing her in front of him, “Wha-? Andersen! What the hell are you doing here?” 

“Saving your sorry ass,” Leo spat at the amputee behind her. “Even though you’re the most unbearable asshole I’ve ever met, I don’t like standing by and watching people die. I’m only doing this to make my conscious shut up.” 

Elric still didn’t have anything to say. Leo dared to take her eyes off her opponent for a few seconds to glare at the alchemist behind her, “So get your useless, suicidal ass off the ground and go to your brother!” 

The somber mood was washed away some as they fell into their usual routine. Leo insults him, and Elric snaps back, “Don’t tell me what to do, Andersen!” Nevertheless, he stood up behind Leo. 

“Humor me, Scar,” Leo turned back to the serial killer in front of him. “You think alchemy is a sin against God, yet you use it yourself. Why is that?” 

The Ishvalan didn’t immediately answer. Leo watched Elric retreat into the alley to hi brother from the corner of her eyes. Scar either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He stalked towards Leo and answered her question, “When there are creators, there must also be destroyers.” 

Leo burst into laughter, “That’s rich. You think you’re keeping balance by destroying for no reason at all. Last I checked, alchemy is destruction and reconstruction. You must destroy to create; that is what all alchemists know. We destroy and create, you just destroy. Sounds pretty unbalanced to me.” 

Scar didn’t say anything at all. Leo didn’t expect him to. She didn’t even give him a chance to think and respond, however, “You don’t make any sense to me. You go on a killing spree in the name of your ‘God’ because He believes alchemy perverts the world into something unnatural, something grotesque. Yet, why go after only State Alchemists? Ig your religion says all alchemy is forbidden, why not go after all who practice alchemy?” 

Scar snarled and flexed his right hand, coiling his right hand and preparing to strike. Leo wasn’t intimidated, “I take it the true reason you are attacking State Alchemists because of the role they played during the Civil War, huh, Ishvalan?” 

“Foolish alchemists who turn their backs on the ways of God must be punished,” Scar growled with barely concealed rage and attacked with his right hand outstretched. 

Leo quickly put her hands together and gathered alchemic energy before thrusting her own right arm forward, the powerful reactions violently colliding between the Ishvalan and the alchemist. The force knocked them both back, and Leo raised the spikes on her back. A flash of blue pulled the electric energy towards Lwo, and the lughtning was sucked from the collided alchemic reactions and into the core of the silver spikes. 

A surprised expression crossed Scar’s face before he charged again. However, the sound of a gunshot stopped him in his tracks. Leo smirked; perfect timing. 

“That’s enough!” Mustang very loudly declared his and his soldiers’ presence. “You won’t be killing anybody else today, Scar!” 

Leo barely heard more soldiers hurriedly getting out of their cars with their firearms to surround Scar. The serial killer seemed to forget about Leo’s presence and turned his back on her to attack Mustang. The teen only sweatdropped. Did Scar forget Leo was here, or did he not care anymore? 

Leo only watched in mild amusement ad the same thing that happened in the show played out before her eyes. Mustang’s gloves didn’t work, Hawkeye saves his ass, and Havoc made fun of him for being useless in the rain. However, what was different was that when Hawkeye forced him back, Scar was put in the path of Leo. 

The black-haired teen concentrated on the energy in the spikes on her back an sent it through her armor, lighting up the designs carved into the metal. A hum of power rushed into her gauntlets, and Leo ran forward, sparks racing through her armor. Because Scar was much taller than Leo, he was forced to jump to land her attack. As Scar turned around, Leo landed a lightning-infused left hook to his temple. Stunned from the blow and disoriented from the voltage, Scar staggered back. Not giving him a chance to recover, Leo jumped again, using the momentum from her fall to push herself back up and landed a right slash across his eyes, successfully knocking off his sunglasses. 

Leo landed and jumped back, unconsciously inching towards where the Elric brother were hiding in the alleyway. 

Since his glasses no longer hid his eyes, the soldiers were able to see the scarred man’s heritage. Just as portrayed in the show, Armstrong and Hawkeye cornered him, and Scar was forced to escape through the sewers. 

“Leo?” a familiar voice asked. The teen stiffened and turned to see who was peaking to her. She already knew, but a part of her didn’t want it to be true. But it was. It was Maes Hughes. Leo’s heart dropped into her stomach. She had to get out of here, but Hughes must’ve realized what she was planning of doing. 

“Leo! Leo, wait!” Hughes cried out as the teen turned and bolted. A few of the officers must’ve misinterpreted the situation and raised their guns. They probably thought Leo was a criminal or something because she was fleeing from the military. 

Hughes heard the guns click in warning and turned around in panic, “Hold your fire!” 

However, it was too late; a single shot rang out as Leo dashed into the alley that the Elric brothers were hiding in. She felt the impact hit her left thigh and yelped in surprise. Her bulletproof armor managed to protect from a puncture wound, but Leo knew the impact was going to leave a bruise. But she doubted Hughes and the Elric brothers knew that. 

Hughes lunged for the officer who shot the bullet and roared in fury, “DAMN YOU!” 

Leo faintly heard Al call out to her, begging her to stop, but she kept running. She climbed up the wall of debris as easily as a mountain lion and disappeared on the top of the roof of a nearby building. Now out of sight, Leo spread her wings and took flight. 

On the ground, Hughes had the other soldier by his collar and was yelling in his face, “What the hell were you thinking?! That’s a missing child you just shot at!” 

“Lieutenant Colonel!” Hawkeye tied prying the desperate father from the soldier. “Stand down! You shouldn’t be arguing right now! The girl just left and might need medical attention!” She turned to the other soldiers who were watching with unease. She told them to investigate the scene were Scar escaped and organized a small search party to track Leo. 

Elric muttered to himself and his brother, “It’s no use. Once Andersen is out of sight, we never know when we’ll see her again.” 

Al promptly clocked him in the face, “Why didn’t you run away when I told you to? What kind of idiot are you?!” 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Marcoh watched the train leave with trepidation. He was hoping he didn’t make a mistake by handing his research over to another State Alchemist, and to a boy, no less. However, he was stopped from going back to his house because his path was blocked by a teenager in dark and scaly armor, inky black hair, and piercing green eyes. 

“Doctor Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist,” Leo whispered, as if telling him a secret. 

The alchemist immediately froze, but before he could scramble to cover his tracks, the teen spoke again. “There’s something waiting for you back at your house. You have to leave town. They are going to try to force you to make a Philosopher’s Stone by threatening the lives of everyone in the town.”  
Marcoh’s eyes widened. 

“Don’t ask me how I know, just run.” And with that cryptic message, Leo jumped into the sky and huge wings carried her up and away from the station of the small town, following the departing train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	8. An Empty Tomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“What’s wrong, Al?” Elric asked his younger brother, who was in a wooden crate that Major Armstrong was carrying out of the cargo car. The boy in armor looked at his older brother in surprise; he didn’t think he looked like something was wrong but leave it to Elric to read him like a book. 

“O-Oh!” he stuttered. “It’s nothing! Don’t worry about it!” 

Elric frowned sadly with a knowing expression, “It’s Andersen, isn’t it?” 

Al looked down; Leo had been on his mind lately. The other teen was quite infamous to the two brothers for her sudden disappearances, but this was certainly taking it to the next level. She was shot before she fled, so they didn’t know what condition she was in. 

“Talkin’ about me, Al?” a voice came from behind them. 

Elric whirled around at the familiar voice, “Andersen!” 

She blinked the response, as if oblivious to the distress back in Central. On second thought, she probably was. 

“Leo!” Al aid cheerfully, his helmet craning to see her from the crate he was in. “You came back!” 

“Yeah?” Leo replied in confusion, scratching the back of her head. 

Armstrong, however, wasn’t in the mood for happy reunions. He put down the crate that held Alphonse and rounded on Leo. His shirt spontaneously disappeared, and he flexed aggressively, “LEO ANDERSEN! HOW DARE YOU FLEE IN CENTRAL! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED LIEUTENANT COLONEL HUGHES HAS BEEN?!” 

Leo jumped back and used the eldest Elric as a human shield, “I-I had something I needed to take care of!” 

“YOU WERE SHOT!” Armstrong accused. “HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT-!” 

“I wasn’t shot!” Leo barked back. “The bullet didn’t hit me!” 

Armstrong was quickly losing his patience, “Yes, you were, Leo Andersen. I was close enough to see that the bullet did hit your leg.” 

“Lies,” Leo droned out, still behind Elric. Suddenly, the Fullmetal pipsqueak had her in a one-armed chokehold. Leo squawked out and tried to push him away, but Armstrong got to her first. The Strong-Arm Alchemist lifted Leo up by her ankle and examined where the bullet must’ve struck. 

“Hmm,” Armstrong murmured to himself. “There is obvious damage your armor but no puncture wound. How is that possible?” 

Frustrated, Leo snatched her leg and retreated behind the box that held Alphonse’s armor. However, all three of them were now looking at her expectantly. 

Sighing, she scratched the back of her head sheepishly, “My armor is bulletproof.” Ignoring their shocked expressions, she turned to leave the train station, “That’s all I’m going to say.” 

Elric broke out of his trance first and dashed out of the train station after Leo. Armstrong quickly picked up the box that Al was in and went to follow Fullmetal.

“Andersen!” Elric called. 

Leo looked over her shoulder to show Elric that he had her attention. 

“What’re you doing here in Resembool?” 

“I’ve got something I need to look into here real quick,” she replied with a smirk. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Leo didn’t bother catching the wrench she knew was coming. She never did like the gag in the show that Winry always beat her two brothers for petty reasons, but now that Leo knew Elric was an asshole, she didn’t bother. It was funny as hell to see Winry beat Elric. She laughed at Fullmetal’s expense as he fell to the ground with a yelp of pain and surprise. However, Leo wasn’t laughing for long. 

“And you, Leo!” Winry’s angry scream was Leo’s only warning before a second wrench went flying through the air. She didn’t expect the mechanic to throw another tool, and it landed on her forehead. 

“What the fuck, Winry!” Leo shouted as she rubbed her abused head. “Why you gotta throw one at me, too?!” 

“Because you haven’t been by at all since you got your automail!” Winry shouted. 

“I never needed to! I’ve kept up on my maintenance, so what’s the problem?!” 

The mechanic let out an angry growl of frustration and stormed back into the house. 

Elric grimaced as he realized that Winry was now in a bad mood; he was a dead man for sure. 

“Oh no!” Winry wailed over the shattered remains of Elric’s shattered automail arm.

“Yeah, sorry,” Elric said, completely unapologetically. “It’s a little smashed up.” 

“A little smashed up? A little?!” Winry shot back, equally dismayed and sarcastic. “Ed, do you see what you’ve done to my beautiful creation? I slaved over this!”

“It’s basically the same,” Elric replied cheerfully. “It’s just in smaller pieces.” 

Leo snorted as Winry promptly clocked him in the face. 

Shouldn’t she be glad that Elric doesn’t take care of his automail? That means he has to come back to Resembool a lot for maintenance. That means more money, more business, and more times she gets to see her stupid brothers. However, whenever Elric and Al do return to their hometown, Winry throws wrenches at them. That was a damn good deterrent if Leo’s ever seen one. I mean, if you know you’re going to get beat whenever you come home, you learn to avoid it, right? Shouldn’t she be glad that Elric values her skills as a mechanic? Shouldn’t she be glad that they’re coming home at all? It often made Leo wonder just what Elric was to Winry.

Leo spoke to herself aloud, “I do not understand women.” 

“Truly,” Armstrong nodded sagely beside her. “Women are fascinating yet powerful forces of nature.” 

Leo heard the slight tremor in his voice and thought of his sister, Olivier Armstrong. Leo silently agreed. 

“Alright, Leo,” Winry got the other alchemist’s attention. “What did you do to your automail?” 

“Nothing,” Leo replied. “It’s in the same shape as it was when you built it tow years. I just made a couple upgrades to it.” 

“UPGRADES?!” Winry shrieked. “Are you saying my work wasn’t good enough for you?” 

Leo paused and considered her next words very carefully; Winry was known to jump to conclusions in a violent way. She was known to completely forget about the situation at hand if automail was involved, more specifically, if the holy land of automail was involved. 

“I’m not saying that,” Leo jumped behind Al. “I’m saying I had to make a few adjustments for my travel and research. So, I dropped by Rush Valley and-” 

Winry then let out an inhuman squeal and dashed over to Leo, Elric’s shattered arm now forgotten. “You got parts from Rush Valley?!”  
“Uh,” Leo stuttered. “I never said that, but-” 

“You have to show me!” Winry started jumping up and down excitedly. Leo cursed to herself. Plan backfired horribly. Luckily, the only sane person in all of Resembool was in the next room over. 

“Hey, Miss Pinako,” Leo called over her shoulder. “Will there be a charge for a checkup for my automail?” 

“Yes,” she said immediately, not looking up from her tools and parts on her desk. 

Winry gave Leo the puppy-dog look, “Please?” 

“Forget it,” Leo looked away. She was confident she could tank the puppy-dog eyes, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “It’ll cot me cash, and I’m broke.” 

Winry wasn’t going down without a fight, however. She turned to Elric and demanded, “Ed, pay for Leo’s automail checkup!” 

“What?!” he screamed. “Why the hell would I pay for Andersen?” 

“So I can check out her automail,” Winry sassed back, as if the answer was obvious. 

“Her damn automail is not my responsibility,” Elric growled back. Winry leaned forward and whispered something in her ear. Leo felt a shiver go down her spine. Her instincts were telling her to run and not look back. 

“You know what,” he gained an evil smirk and turned to Leo. “I wil pay for her automail. Go nuts, Winry.” 

The girl squealed in delight and made a beeline straight for Leo. She sent Elric a murderous glare and hid her arms behind her back. “C’mon, Leo! Ed’s paying for your checkup, so let me take a look at that automail!” 

Leo snarled defensively. 

Elric continued to laugh at Leo’s expense as said teem danced out of Winry’s reach. “Leo! Quit it! Money’s no issue, so what’s stopping you?” 

“My consent!” Leo growled back at her. 

“Enough, Winry,” Pinako finally came to Leo’s rescue. “Leo needs automail repairs, but she won’t agree to it if you keep harassing her.” 

“Well,” Elric shrugged. “If that’s the case, then Andersen can pay for her own damn maintenance.” 

“No, Edward,” Pinako brought her smoking pipe up to her lips, “You already agreed to pay for Leo’s automail. What does it matter who does the checkup?”  
Elric’s face fell, and Leo couldn’t quite keep the smirk off her face. 

In the next room, Pinako was now inspecting the plates on Leo’s forearms. She had taken her armor off so the old engineer could examine the prosthetics.  
“What kind of metal is the plating?” Pinako asked as she twisted the flathead on one of the screws to get the arm disconnected. 

“Aluminum,” Leo replied honestly. The original automail had steel plating, but Leo managed to dissect most of the arm’s exterior and replaced them with a lightweight yet durable metal. 

Pinako hummed in response and detached the right arm from the port. 

Leo yelped in surprise, “Hey! What’d you do that for?!” 

“The arms are too short on you,” the old lady seemed to be talking more to herself than Leo as she walked over to the other side of the teen. Again, she detached another prosthetics from the port in Leo’s arm, completely disregarding any of the teen’s protesting. “I’ll have to fix these and Ed’s leg. You just need to sit tight for a few days.” 

Then, without waiting for a response, Pinako walked over to her workstation and set the two arms down, beginning to work. 

Leo sighed, taking this as a cue to leave, and walked out of the main room, once again without arms. 

\--------------------------------------------------

Leo stood in front of the burnt remains of the Elric’s old house. After she told Pinako that she had something to take care of Resembool before leaving with Al and his brother, the old lady was kind enough to finish her arms before moving onto Elric’s leg. Pinako decided to leave the aluminum plating on the arms and also replaced most of the internal structure with lightweight material. 

For now, Leo had something to take care of here. Leo clapped her hands and put them on the ground where the Elric house used to stand. She visualized the matrix in her mind and focused on gently digging through the soil to find the bones of the failed human transmutation. However, her heart started racing as she continued to dig but found nothing. There were no bones, no hair, no nothing. 

The body was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	9. Depths of the Gate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Pinako grumbled as she stood over the two brothers, who were lying in the grass outside her house. The eldest brat was whining about his automail repairs taking so long. She understood why they were impatient, but Winry and herself are doing the best they can. 

She put down her smoking pipe and asked Al, the one who was not throwing a temper tantrum, “Do you know where Leo ran off to? I want to check something on her automail before I’m willing to let her hit the road.” 

Al’s helmet shook in denial, “No, sorry, I haven’t seen her.” 

Beside him, Elric jolted in realization and slammed a flesh fist onto the ground in frustration, “Dammit Andersen!” 

Leo must’ve ditched them again. Why the hell did she do this? And how? She appears out of nowhere and then disappears into nowhere. Every time Elric let his guard down, Leo somehow slips away. She’s been doing it for years, and it never failed to anger him. He should’ve put Armstrong on watch duty. 

“What are you blaming me for this time?” an irritated voice snapped. 

Elric quickly sat up to stare in disbelief. Leo was still here. Relief hit him like a train. He thought she left again. Was she actually going to stay this time? 

“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Leo said to Elric. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

The three alchemists sat in the living room, Elric and Leo sitting opposite each other on separate couches with Al sitting next to his older brother. 

“First of all,” Leo started nervously. She knew this conversation was only a matter of time, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t dreading it. She really didn’t know how they were going to react when they find out how much she really knows about alchemy’s greatest taboo. “Do you know what exactly happens when you perform human transmutation?” 

The two brothers stiffened. They never mentioned human transmutation to Leo, so why was she bringing this up to them? And why now? What did she know?

“I remember being deconstructed by the circle and waking up in the front a gateway of sorts,” Ed eventually mused. 

“What did you see?” Leo pressed. 

“I was flung into the Gate. It felt like all the information in the world was being poured into my brain at once.” 

“And then what did you see?” 

Elric gave her a confused look, “What is this about? Why are you asking us about human transmutation?” 

“I think I might know how to get your bodies back,” Leo replied. 

Before the two brothers could ask how, Leo continued her interrogation, “What happened after you saw the Truth?” 

Elric narrowed his eyes. He never said anything about Truth. Regardless, he answered the question but made a mental note to demand answers from Leo later. “I attached Al’s soul to a suit of armor,” Elric muttered. 

“No, no, no. Not that. What happened before that but after seeing the Truth?” 

Elric’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion, “Nothing happened. I woke up and attached Al’s soul.” 

Leo rolled her eyes, “Did you enter the Gate with two legs or one leg?” 

Elric’s eyes widened; Leo grinned. Now she could see some gears turning, “After exiting the Gate, your leg was taken as payment for the knowledge you got. When you perform human transmutation, you are thrown into the Gateway to try and retrieve the soul of the person you want to bring back. Elric, did you see your mother in the Gate?” 

The Fullmetal Alchemist froze. He did see. For a moment, he saw a silhouette in the Gate with the same features and aura of his mother. At the time, he thought he was hallucinating, but now, Leo was telling him that there was a legitimate reason for that. But what was it? 

“You have to pay a toll to get out yourself and that soul out, but most people can’t even do that. They have to pay a toll to get out, depending on how much they take from the Gate. In your guys’ case, it would be knowledge on how to transmute without a circle. Elric payed with his leg, and Al payed with his whole body.” 

Elric started speaking, breaking Leo from her monologue, “Oh yeah, I only exchanged parts of my body for what I saw, but Al payed the toll with his entire physical being. He must’ve seen more of the Truth than I did.” 

“Then,” Al started. “How come I don’t remember?” 

“Al lost his whole body,” Leo continued. “But a soul cannot live without a body. Al must’ve died during the transmutation and lost is memory from the shock.”

The two brothers looked absolutely horrified. 

“When a person dies, their soul goes through the Gate into the afterlife.” 

“Hold on,” Elric’s voice cut her off. “When you say ‘afterlife,’ do you mean Heaven?” 

“Kind of. The afterlife is known by many names. Heaven, the Underworld, Aether, whatever. It’s where souls go after they die.” 

“There’s no such thing as Heaven,” Elric countered immediately. He was a strict scientist. He didn’t believe in unprovable concepts, and that’s fine because Leo is the same. However, in alchemy, anything was possible. Especially since the alchemy in Elrics world and the alchemy in Leo’s world were vastly different. While they both have powers to change the shape of matter, the alchemy in Elric’s world is a strict science that follows the rules of physics. However, back in Leo’s world, alchemy died out in the 1600’s and was more focused on religion and mysticism than actual science. 

Al, however, noticed something else in what Leo had said, “You said the afterlife is also known as Aether. That’s the fifth element, the Philosopher’s Stone.” 

Leo froze. There was no way she’s going to be able to explain this without giving away what the Philosopher’s Stone is made of. The Elric brothers were supposed to find that out by going through Marcoh’s research notes. The fifth element in alchemy is Aether, a heavenly substance where a human soul goes after the person dies. Aether is human souls, and the Philosopher’s Stone in FMA is a condensed substance composed on human souls. It is Aether. 

Leo deliberately avoided Al’s question and desperately hoped they wouldn’t ask about it again, “Consider the possibility, Elric. What do you think is on the other side of the Gate? And why do you think you saw your mother in there?” 

She saw the two brothers freeze in front of her. On the other side of the Gate? 

“There is no other side,” Elric started uneasily. 

Leo wanted to roll her eyes, “You think it’s a dead end? That there is nothing beyond it?” She was living proof of her theory. But there was no way she was going to tell the Elric brothers that, and she doesn’t need them to know, anyway. She just needs to explain that their bodies are still trapped in the Gate. 

“Just shut up and let me finish my train of thought,” Leo snapped. 

Elric grumbled but settled back into the couch again. 

“You cannot take something from the other side of the Gate, but you can take something that is still inside the Gate. Al’s body was taken into the gate for payment, and his soul started travelling to the other side because it didn’t have a medium to the physical world anymore. But before Al could make it to the afterlife, Ed pulled his soul out and attached it to a new medium: the armor, at the price of his arm. You following me?” 

“I think so,” Al looked pretty shaken up, even for a suit of armor. “But if souls eventually move onto the afterlife after passing through the Gate, would that make it impossible to retrieve our bodies since they’ve been in the Gate for so long?” 

Leo immediately shook her head, “Souls move onto the afterlife. Your bodies must still be in the Gate, existing separately from your souls.”

“Is that even possible?” Elric muttered. 

Leo nodded and continued. “Your bodies are in the Gate, and to take something from the Gate, you need to pay a toll. Equivalent Exchange. Now, the Philosopher’s Stone-” 

“The Philosopher’s Stone can ignore the law of Equivalent Exchange,” Al continued. “It can do the impossible. It’s the only hope for getting our bodies back.” 

“At least now we know where they are,” Elric pitched in his thoughts. 

“The Philosopher’s Stone can pay the toll for getting your bodies back from the Gate,” Leo said. 

“But,” Elric gave his little brother a questioning look. “The Philosopher’s Stone ignores the law of Equivalent Exchange.” 

“Do you know how?” 

They both shrugged, or at least tried to. Elric was still missing his right shoulder, and Al was missing more than half his armor. 

“A Philosopher’s Stone can pay for anything because it is made of perfect material. It still follows the laws, but the Stone is just so valuable. And since taking something from the Gate requires a toll, and your bodies are in the Gate, then the Philosopher’s Stone-” 

“-the Philosopher’s Stone can buy anything from the Gate!” Al finished. “We can use it to pay for the toll to get our bodies back!” 

Before they could further question Leo, Winry came into the room with a finished automail arm for Elric. 

\--------------—————---------------------------------

“So, Andersen,” Elric turned and muttered to the black-haired alchemist as they all stood in front of the train station. “Where are you going to run away to this time?” 

Leo blinked. They were expecting her to disappear again, “Central. I got something I need to take care of there.” 

“Yes,” Armstrong stood beside her, casting an ominous shadow. “Your unfinished business is apologizing to Lieutenant Colonel Hughes.” 

The teen flinched and hid behind Al. The boy in armor was conflicted. Leo somehow easily got away from himself and his older brother when they tried to force her to go to the Hughes’ residence. He didn’t want to let her go, but he knew that she wasn’t going to go down quietly. 

Leo got on the train but sat on the other side of the car. She didn’t trust Armstrong to not try to knock her out or something. However, she was not sitting by herself for long. Al appeared and sat down in the booth next to her. Before she could ask him to leave, Armstrong and Elric sat in the seat in front of her. 

This time, Leo did open her mouth, “Piss off, Elric.” 

The blond boy’s eyes darkened, “You piss off, Andersen.” 

Leo shrugged and stood up, turning to the window, “Alright.” She opened the window and put her right foot on the windowsill, preparing to jump out. 

Al lunged and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back into the moving train, “You’re not going anywhere until we get to Central.” 

Leo grumbled and pouted childishly in her seat next to Al. 

“Oh yeah, Andersen,” Elric got her attention. 

Leo hummed in response and whipped out her small black notebook. Elric slightly twitched, believing Leo might not be paying attention. Regardless, he still asked what he wanted to ask. He whispered, so it wouldn’t attract too much attention. “How do you know so much about human transmutation?” 

Elric hadn’t asked earlier because Leo had vanished when they weren’t looking again. She was hoping that they’d forget about the how she knows and just focus on the what she knows. Looks like that didn’t happen. Leo gritted her teeth to try to keep her automail hand from crushing her notebook. She sighed but didn’t look up from her book, “I lost two limbs, Elric.” 

That one sentence made the two brothers freeze in horrified comprehension. Leo finally looked up to see Elric’s expression and almost jolted. She expected him to look at her with pity, but she only saw sadness and understanding in his amber gaze. He also hated to be looked at with pity; Elric got those gazes all the time from other members of the military. Most pitied him because he was a child in the adults’ world. The Fullmetal Alchemist is a child soldier, and they pitied him for it. 

Leo tried to lighten the somber mood by scoffing and burying her nose back into her book, “Wipe that sorry look off your face. It makes you look even more pathetic, pipsqueak.” 

Surprisingly, Elric didn’t snap at the jab about his height. He knew what she was trying to do, and he wasn’t going to let her run from this. A very small voice in his head told him he was a hypocrite; the only thing he ever did was run from his past. He never wanted to admit it, but it made him feel awful. He had to carry around his mistakes in his pocket, and it was a true reminder of how he had failed the only family he had left. 

“Leo,” Al got her attention. “Your arms are lost in the Gate, too, aren’t they?” 

She didn’t answer. 

“That’s how you knew about us and where our bodies are.” It wasn’t a question. 

She still didn’t answer. 

Elric noticed that Leo tended to try to change the subject, and if she can’t, then she would just stay silent. He supposed he could understand her need for privacy (especially on a topic like this), but a part of him was annoyed that he could never get straight answers out of her unless she was willing to give them. 

Although, as much as Elric refused to admit it, it seemed like Leo somehow fit into the freak show that is the Elric brothers. Even though they have only seen each other for a few days at a time (and then they wouldn’t hear anything from her in months), Elric could see Leo travelling with him and his brother in their quest for getting their bodies back. 

The reminder of why the two brothers were on their mission made Elric remember that Leo lost something to the Gate, too. Her arms were taken. Leo may act like losing her limbs didn’t matter to her, but it was obvious to Elric. It would certainly explain the faraway and saddened look in her eyes. 

“Andersen,” Elric verbally poked her. She hummed but still didn’t look up from her book. He vaguely wondered what she was reading (or if she was just skimming through words and pretending to read) and began talking, “Al and I have been on this quest for three years to reclaim what we’ve lost. We lost it because of a stupid mistake. You gave us a real lead and real hope.” 

Leo finally looked up from her little book to give Elric her attention. He wasn’t always sincere, especially to her, so the least she can do was pay attention.

“When Al and I get our hands on Marcoh’s notes and get our bodies back, we’re going to get your arms back, too.” 

Leo’s eyes widened, and she almost dropped her book. Whatever she was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that. Three years of the two brothers' lives were spent searching for a relic of legend, unsure if it may even be real. Everything they ever found on the Stone was heavily secretive and not very many people even knew they were searching for it. To have the more protective of the two brothers and their secrets suddenly be willing to share the fruits of their labor was shocking. 

She felt a small smile cross her face, and she closed her notebook, “It’s appreciated. Really, it is. But I’m determined to find a way to get my arms back without using a Stone.” 

Elric blinked. For three years, he and his brother have been hunting down the legendary Philosopher’s Stone because they believed it to be the only way to get their bodies back. But here Leo was, saying she’s determined to find a way to get her body back without a Stone. Was it even possible? Was there another way? It didn't seem so because the Philosopher's Stone could do the impossible, and, thanks to Leo, they know knew how the Stone worked and where their bodies were. But a thought did cross his mind; if Leo knew so much about the Stone and how to get her body back, why hasn't she done anything about it yet? Did she not want her body back? But she just said that she was going to find another way. So it must be something else. Maybe using the Stone was more complicated than it seemed to be. Was there a reason as to whys he didn't want to use it? 

Elric snorted and crossed his arms, “Suit yourself. But I bet you’re not going to find a way before Al and I make a Stone and get our bodies back.” 

Leo almost flinched. They weren’t going to go through with it, and she knew it. Leo almost felt disgusted because the competitor in her said this was going to be an easy win. She knew he was just trying to rile her up, and she let him. 

A small, black notebook hit Elric in the face, and he immediately knew who the culprit was. He lunged forward at the same time Leo did and their foreheads slammed together. 

Leo grinned, “Oh, yeah? Is that a challenge? Mister high-and-mighty-pipsqueak?” 

Elric snapped back at her, “Yeah! What are you going to do about it?” 

Huge hands grabbed Leo’s and Elric’s hoods and yanked them back into their seats. “Enough, you two. Honestly, children can be so aggressive.” 

They both scowled but then Elric came to a sudden realization; he was holding the notebook Leo was always reading. Curiosity took over before he quickly opened it up to a random page and began skimming. Within seconds, his face turned tomato red. 

“What’s wrong, brother?” Al asked him. 

The Fullmetal Alchemist defied logic and shined an even brighter shade of red. He spluttered and kept the book out of his little brother’s reach, determined to save his innocence. 

“What are you reading?” Al was curious now. 

It was then that Leo realized Elric had her notebook. She gained an evil grin. 

Elric glared at her and threw the book back in her face, internally smirking when the leather-bound pages bounced off her forehead, “Why are you reading that disgusting crap in front of my innocent little brother?!” 

“What do you mean disgusting?” Leo squawked as she pocketed the book. “This is a perfectly normal pastime for my age. Hell, some might think it’s absurd that you think otherwise!” 

Elric’s face only continued to stay the same color as his coat and he snapped back, “W-Well, you shouldn’t read it out in public!” 

“And why’s that?” Leo asked, confusion very visible on her face. 

“You,” Elric stuttered, as if trying to find the right words. “Y-You just… You just don’t, okay?!” 

Al put himself in between them, “What are you guys talking about?” 

“Leo’s reading porn!” Elric snitched rather loudly. 

If Al had a jaw, it would have dropped. 

Armstrong’s moustache twitched. 

Leo couldn’t take it anymore; she burst out laughing. 

Elric seemed to suddenly realize he’d said that statement aloud. Not just aloud, he fucking shouted it so everyone on the damn train could hear it. He then decided to sink into the seat and hoped the bench would swallow him whole. He tried hiding behind Armstrong to avoid the unsettled stares he got from the other passengers, slinking down so his collar practically devoured his face, which had invented a new shade of red. 

Leo should be embarrassed, and, truth be told, she was. But the situation was far too hilarious to show embarrassment. Leo was just roaring with laughter. The declaration, the way he said it, the volume at which he said it, the look on his face, the damn color of his face. By Archaeus, it was too much. 

“Aw, man,” Leo managed to choke out in between guffaws and put a hand on Elric’s shoulder, much to his dismay, “I needed that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	10. Impossibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“I think I’m going to start tallying up how many favors you owe me, Leo,” Mustang ground out when he saw a winged alchemist drawing circles all over his lab. 

Dragon only sighed and kept drawing. She had transmuted her coat into her wings and poised them over her back and was wearing the helmet she used when flying, but Mustang still knew who was really under those scales. Truthfully, Leo never meant to hide her identity; she never needed to. People only ever saw Dragon was she was flying through the sky, and the girl never bothered hiding her face or her armor. So, when she suddenly appeared in Mustang’s house under the guise of the Dragon, Leo never changed her armor. And when Flame saw the same patterns on Leo on the street, he immediately recognized her. 

They both knew that Mustang found out who the Dragon really was during the confrontation with Scar, and Leo didn’t think he was going to keep her secret. But, to her shock, he did, and now he was holding it over her head as a favor. Guess the soldier in him sees every opportunity. 

However, there was something he was curious about, “Why are you so adamant on trying to protect the chimera from the military?” 

“You know as well as I do that they’re just going to use her as a test subject,” Dragon replied. “But I’m not going to let that happen. I can change her back.” 

Mustang narrowed her eyes, obviously not buying it. The Dragon may be able to do what has never been done before like fly and spit fire, but that was completely different from bio-alchemy. It was impossible to separate a perfect chimera. The very term made Mustang shiver in disgust. ‘Perfect’ made it seem like the creature was flawless, and it certainly was not. While the two creatures were fuse to the core, they were in incredible pain because they were forcibly fused with no regard for the state of its internal organs. Most of them didn’t even live long, anyway. 

“That’s impossible,” the Colonel said. “You can’t separate chimeras. You’d just kill yourself and the two animals.” 

“Nothing is impossible,” Dragon continued drawing. “You just lack imagination.” 

Mustang rolled his eyes and prepared to leave; while Dragon wanting to practically kill herself rubbed him the wrong way, he was not in charge of her actions. He turned but curiosity forced him to stay and glance at the transmutation circle that Dragon was finishing. He didn’t recognize some of the patterns, but he was familiar with the fire symbols engraved in the circle. He was the Flame Alchemist, after all. There were salamanders crawling around the edge of the square base, zodiac signs of fire bordered the overlapping diamonds and stars, and a powerful but silent phoenix in the center of the foreign design. 

“Leo,” Mustang spoke up. He wasn’t familiar with bio-alchemy, but he was pretty sure fire was not something to be used when transmuting living creatures. When he voiced his opinion, Leo replied but did not take her gaze of the matrix, scanning it with a critical eye for any signs of mistake. It was a very strange design, all symbols and shapes twisting and dancing around each other in a complex cycle. 

“Because this transmutation circle will be the support for me,” Leo replied. “My specialty is fire, Mustang. I’ll be breaking down the chimera with flames.”

The Flame Alchemist’s eyes widened, and he blurted out, “You’re planning of burning her?!” 

“Exactly,” Dragon looked up and gave him a cold and hard glare through her helmet. “Fire is a powerful element, and it is the perfect way to purify. When a substance is heated up, it becomes malleable and much easier to reshape. And the human body is no different than any other substance. It’s how human chimeras are made, and it’s how I’m going to change her back.” 

“You can’t transmute your body. You’d just be transmuting yourself.” 

Leo shook her head, “You have a body. You are a soul.” 

Mustang hesitated. He wasn’t sure he completely grasped what the girl was saying, but he made sure to remember. The haunted and knowing tone in her voice told him that there was a hidden meaning to her words, and that meaning was learned through a personal experience of hers. He asked her the obvious question, “How do you know you’re not just going to burn the chimera to death?” 

“I’m just going to have to be careful. The human body may be strong, but there is only so much it can take at once. I’m just going to have to make small changes each time and let her body rest in between the transmutations. If I try to separate them at once, the reaction will probably kill all three of us.” 

Leo turned to him, finally finishing the circle, “I hate to ask too much, but I’m going to have to hide in here while I turn Nina back to normal.”

“You are asking too much,” Mustang immediately snapped. 

Leo took a moment to collect herself. She knew what Mustang was implying. She was asking for too many favors, so she knew that he was going to ask her for something eventually, “What do you want?” 

The Flame Alchemist’s expression didn’t change, “You know that Tucker’s daughter suddenly appearing after her father turned her into a chimera is suspicious, right?”

Leo didn’t answer. Truthfully, she hadn't thought that far ahead. 

“My proposition for you is this,” Mustang began. “You turn Nina over to the military-” 

Leo immediately whirled around to protest, but the Colonel put a hand up to keep her quiet. 

“The Dragon works for me, and I’ll get you access to the facility that is holding the chimera.” 

Leo blinked. That wasn’t a bad deal, and she wasn’t really bothered by her alter ego working under the Flame Alchemist. There was one glaring problem, though. “How do I know the other researchers are going to leave Nina alone?” 

“All research alchemists in the labs are allowed their own private experiments. Nobody will even know you’re in there.” 

Leo didn’t mind the wording of that statement. If anything, it brought relief to her. She took off her helmet and looked him in the eye. Mustang was a bit taken aback. He already knew who she was, but it was still surreal to see the face of your best friend’s missing foster daughter behind the mask of the folklore of Amestris. 

“You won’t tell anybody I’m really Leo, will you?” Dragon asked. 

Mustang narrowed his eyes. He knew that she was really just referring to one person. “I won’t,” he conceded. “It’s not my place anyway. But Hughes needs to know.”

“I know,” Leo looked down. “I know. I’ll tell him… eventually.” 

The silence was deafening. Mustang was obviously upset that she was keeping secrets from his best friend, but, at the same time, he understood her reasons. And he would be a hypocrite to say he didn’t keep secrets from Hughes, as well. 

“I…” Leo stuttered. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I accept those terms.” 

Mustang chuckled. 

“What’s so funny?” Leo narrowed her eyes. What was Mustang laughing at? Did she just walk into a setup? 

“I’m just imagining the look on the Generals’ faces when I tell them I’ve been in contact with the Dragon of Amestris.” 

Leo didn’t know if that was really the truth, but the thought made her laugh, as well, “HA! Each one of them would lay a fucking egg when you tell ‘em that!” 

“Well, let’s go find out,” the Flame Alchemist turned to leave his house. 

“Wha- now?!” Leo squawked. 

“Yes, now. The Generals are currently working overtime because of the serial killer on the loose.” 

“But-” Leo stuttered. “I just finished the transmutation circle in here!” 

“You can draw it again,” Mustang called over his shoulder without remorse. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

Dragon soared down to the familiar window with practiced ease. While flying was not silent, it was at least faint, so it is unlikely people saw her. Flying straight to a building in the heart of the country without being spotted was no easy feat. The creature doubted the soldiers were oblivious to her presence, however. She bet that many of them had made numerous reports of a suspicious sound coming from the window of the research facility every night, but the higher ups were ordered to make sure that they, and the other soldiers, kept quiet about what was really going on. 

Now that she was on the ground, the Dragon was able to quietly slither through the dark and locked building to where her private study was. It was an odd concept. The Dragon’s personal office in a military research facility. 

The creature was given a key to the room, but she could honestly just break down the door anyway with alchemy. However, the Dragon felt the need to respect the fact that the military gave her access to the building at all. The least she could do is not mess the place up while she was renting it. 

While she imagined most offices held piles of books and a desk full of research notes, the Dragon’s office was almost completely bare. There was a single transmutation circle in the center and a small human bed in the corner that had bars around it almost like a crib. She saw a head rise up from the bed as she closed the door behind her. 

Leo removed her helmet so Nina could see her face, and she tried giving a comforting smile. It’s been almost a week since the girl was turned into a chimera. She was undoubtedly in unspeakable pain whenever she is awake. With Leo constantly pulling and twisting her bones and organs all over again, it seemed the right thing to do to have the girl sleep so she wouldn’t feel the pain of having her body readjust to the daily transmutations. However, this time it seemed like the child woke up before Leo could get back from her assignment. 

She had a feeling that Mustang was a slave driver, but this was ridiculous. Of course, Leo had a habit of being punctual and loyal from her previous life, so it seemed it was finally being used against her. The damn colonel had the Dragon basically flying all over Amestris taking out the hideouts of small gangs that were used for illegal alchemy research and drug trading. While it was a satisfying feeling to take out crime in Amestris, that didn't mean she wasn't tired from all the high-speed missions. To be honest, it seemed almost obvious at this point (at least to the soldiers and the criminals they've caught) that the Dragon of Amestris was finally beginning to work with the military. It was too much of a coincidence for a platoon of military police to be sent to a random location just to see a fireball destroy a nearby building and send the criminals inside straight into the custody of the government. 

One of the generals who knew about the Dragon's connection to Mustang actually tried deploying her like a common soldier, but the creature made it immediately very clear that she only takes orders from the Flame Alchemist. Said general then tried telling Mustang to deploy the Dragon where he wanted, but when the colonel told Leo her new orders, she huffed and curled up in the corner of the room and pretended to nap, thoroughly aware that the general was just speaking through Mustang. It angered the higher ups to no end, which amused Leo and annoyed Mustang. 

“Big sister?” the deformed girl spoke in a distorted voice. 

Leo almost snorted at the nickname. After a transmutation session one day, a thunderstorm started and kept Leo grounded for the night. Nina had adamantly refused to sleep that night because of the thunder, and Leo was writhing in pain because of the pressure in her automail from the weather. So, there they were, two creatures in agony together and waiting for the storm to pass. 

However, even after all she’s been through, Nina noticed Leo’s distress and curled up net to her. It broke Leo’s heart. Nina was such a sweet child, and no one, least of all Nina, deserved to be put through this hell. Leo wanted to help Nina more. It wasn’t enough to just be trying to cure her, she needed to comfort her. This experience would be traumatizing enough for an adult, and Nina was a four-year-old. 

With that thought, Leo had wrapped her wings around the chimera to shield her from the storm outside. It was then that Nina saw the Dragon’s wings for the first time and asked if she was an angel because only angels had wings. 

Leo had chuckled and ruffled the mane on the girl’s head. With a smile, the alchemist said to her, “I’m no angel. I’m human, just like you.” 

“You’re…” the little girl trailed off, as if she didn’t know how to phrase the question. “You are… a girl… right?” 

Leo had to clamp a hand around her mouth to keep quiet. It felt rude to laugh but holy shit. Regardless, she answered with an amused smile on her face, “Yes, I am. My name’s Leo.” 

Nina had then began calling Leo ‘Big sister.’ The alchemist, however, was conflicted. She was doing almost nothing but bring pain to the little girl by tearing her apart and putting her back together night after night, but Nina still trusted her. Leo didn’t feel like she deserved that title, but she also felt like she had to earn that title. Nina trusted her, so Leo was going to prove to be the person Nina already sees her as. She’s going to save her. 

“Big sister?” Nina asked in her broken voice. “When will it not hurt?” 

Leo tried to not show any fear or doubt as she looked the girl in her eyes and promised, “You won’t be in pain for long, Nina. It’ll be okay.” 

That was enough for the child, it seemed. With reluctance but unwavering trust, she stepped into the transmutation circle so Leo could once again activate it and try to erase the sins of her father. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

“Big brother!”

Elric froze and almost dropped his book. He knew that voice; it had been haunting him in the form of nightmares for days. It was the little girl; the one he failed to save because he wasn’t strong enough, he wasn’t smart enough, he, himself, wasn’t enough. Ignoring all warning bells in head, telling him it was just a trick, a figment of his imagination, a phantom from his past; he turned to look at the door of his rented room in the library. 

But, against all odds, there she was. It was Nina, standing in the doorway with a bright smile on her face. 

“After I told Nina that her older brothers were burying themselves in research all day-” a familiar voice came from the figure next to Nina, but Elric couldn’t figure out who it was. He was just focused on the fact that Nina was here, in the same room as them, not a chimera and very much alive. 

The figure crouched down and put a hand on Nina’s head, and Elric could finally see and register who it was. It was Leo. The black-haired alchemist grinned, “She wanted to drop by and get them out of the library for a while.” 

The little girl laughed playfully and ran up to Al, who was still frozen in shock, “C’mon bigger big brother! You said you were going to play with me, right?” 

The words still haunted the Elrics and Leo knew it. 

Al could only follow numbly as the four-year-old dragged him out the door and left his older brother in the study room. 

“Andersen,” Elric trailed off uncertainly as he watched his little brother. “Did… did you do this?” 

Leo gave him a questioning look. 

The golden-haired boy turned to the ink-haired alchemist this time, desperation and confusion bright in his features, “Did you save Nina?” 

Leo smiled, not condescendingly at Elric for once, “Don’t worry about it. Just focus on cracking those notes and getting your bodies back. There’s always a way.” 

Elric could only stare dumbly at her for a few seconds before the second meaning of what she said finally dawned on him. Never give up. Leo managed to do the impossible by bringing Nina back from a seemingly certain unforgivable fate. So, the Elric brothers had to try just as hard to do the supposed impossible and get their bodies back. 

He was broken out of his thoughts when Leo punched him in the arm and gestured to the door. Elric got the message, _‘Go with your brother. I’ll watch the notes while you’re out.’_

He smiled gratefully at her before running off after his brother, leaving Leo alone with her thoughts and the half-decrypted notes, and, for once, not worrying about the possibility of Leo leaving and never coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	11. Truth Within the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average thirteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo knew this was going to happen, but it didn’t make her any less uncomfortable. Al and Elric were in their hotel room, in the dark, perfectly reflecting their hopeless situation. The brothers either didn’t notice her presence or didn’t care. 

“I’m starting to think this is God’s special way of torturing people who’ve committed taboos,” Elric smiled dejectedly. "We stepped on the toes of God and were punished. Equivalent Exchange, huh?” 

Leo snorted, “Equivalent Exchange doesn’t exist.” 

“Don’t be stupid, Andersen,” Elric still had his automail covering his eyes. “Equivalent Exchange is not just the code we live by; it’s the absolute law of everything. There’s no way around that.” 

Leo, not unkindly, pushed his feet off the couch so she could sit there, “People follow Equivalent Exchange because they believe it is the law of the universe. That’s the reason people work hard at all, right? That’s what you guys have been doing, right? Work hard, and it will pay off.” 

“We’ve searched for a way to get our bodies back for three years,” Al responded dejectedly. 

“And, in all those years of searching, did you find what you were looking for?” 

“It was a fucking dead end, Andersen,” Elric snarled. 

“Exactly. It was all a waste, wasn’t it?” Leo crossed her arms. 

Elric felt a rush of rage. How. Dare. She?! Leo had no fucking idea what she was talking about! He sat up but did not look at the other alchemist in front of him, his face hidden by the shadows of his bangs. 

“Sometimes, the world takes and takes and never gives back what it owes. Just like your search for your original bodies.”

“B-but,” Al stuttered. "Equivalent Exchange… we lost our bodies because of a stupid mistake, but we’ve worked hard for three years to get them back! Our work has to pay off! We… we have to get back to normal!” 

It was obvious that the boy in armor was becoming more and more distressed. 

“No,” Leo shrugged. “It’s over, isn’t it? The Philosopher’s Stone is a dead end, huh?” 

Small and sad sounds rattled the armor, and Al began to whimper. He couldn’t shed tears, but this was the closest he could come to crying. Leo was right. The Stone was a dead end. After all their searching, it was all for nothing. Al was going to be stuck in a metal shell for the rest of his life. He remembered when they got the note from Dr. Marcoh, he and his older brother had been overjoyed. A solid lead in getting their bodies back, and they poured over the man’s research notes, desperate for the end results. But the end results were horrible. They could never use the Stone now they know what it’s made of. 

Elric looked over at his little brother to see him sobbing (‘Or at least, trying to,’ he thought bitterly. Al no longer had a body. He couldn’t sleep anymore, he can’t eat, he can’t even cry. It made Elric’s stomach twist in grief and guilt, even more so than when Al was first put in that cold hell. Before, they had a sliver of hope, the Philosopher’s Stone, to turn him back to normal. But now, what was there left to search for?) and felt another wave of rage. 

Leo just kept bringing up their failures and throwing them back in their faces. To make things worse, she was talking in a way that almost taunted the two brothers. Elric fucking knew what he did was awful; he knows that Al resent him for putting him for putting him in that metal shell. So just why does Leo feel the need to make his baby brother feel worse about the situation? Why did she have to make Al so upset to the point where he cried? 

Elric stormed right up to Leo’s face and grabbed her by the collar of her faux trench coat, yanking her forwards so the insensitive bastard could feel just how fucking angry Elric was, “Just what the hell do you know?! Have you come here to make fun of us?! DAMMIT!! I already know it’s hopeless! I already fucking know it’s my fault and I know Al hates me for putting him in a suit of armor so just why the hell do you feel the need to rub it in?!” 

Al gasped in shock. Is that really what his brother thinks? Does he really think Al hates him? Elric saved his brother’s life! If he hadn’t given up his arm, then Al would be lost to the Gate, just like Leo said. 

“… brother?” 

Elric jolted as he realized his slipup. Al was still in the room with them, and he just heard everything Elric said. The topic was something that the eldest wanted to talk to the youngest about this for a long time, but he never really found the courage. Elric wanted to ask Al hated him, but not like this. 

“Equivalent Exchange?” Leo said again. “You really believe that?” 

Elric’s expression darkened and his body began to tremble with rage and sorrow. Leo had no damn idea what she was talking about. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. As alchemists, Elric and Leo had to respect that. Every time Elric created a weapon, he had to take from the ground. Every time Leo spit a fireball, she had to burn fuel. When Elric and Al committed the taboo, they were punished. Equivalent Exchange is real. It’s the unavoidable law of everything. 

“Then why are you giving up?” 

Eric stared, caught off guard. Whatever he was expecting from the heartless bastard, it hadn’t been this. Leo was just taunting them about their failures, breaking them down to the point of absolute misery, but then she just turns it around? Just what kind of game is Leo playing? 

“Equivalent Exchange is the law of the universe, right?” 

Elric still didn’t answer in words. Instead, his head bowed in defeat. It really was over. Their quest had been for nothing. He was giving up because he was defeated. He failed his brother. 

The sight only angered Leo. Where was that fire that made the Fullmetal Alchemist such a powerful person? She threw aside the mismatched hands that were now weakly holding her collar and snatched Elric’s black undershirt and pulled so that Leo’s hard green gaze was boring into Elric’s defeated gold ones. 

“Then prove it,” Leo snarled in his face. “Prove that all the blood and tears you two have shed have been for something. Prove me wrong, Elric!” 

For a few moments, nobody moved. Nobody made a peep, and the room was quiet. The only sound that proved time was still moving forwards was the old fan above their heads. 

Al only stared at the scene in front of him. Elric and Leo never broke eye contact, with the amber eyes standing in front of a mind that was racing with possibilities and staring straight into the stubborn but still faraway glare of jade that seemed to not even blink. Elric thought he was just imagining it before, but now he could see something behind Leo’s eyes. 

They say that the eyes are windows to the soul, and, right now, Elric couldn’t agree more. Leo has done the supposed impossible, and she knows about the taboos, her knowledge of the Truth proves that. But there was something strange about those green orbs that have seen what lies beyond the Gate. It felt like they were boring into his skull and extracted his secrets and lies while they just left more questions about the ones who own those eyes. Leo knew more than what she was letting on. She knew so much more. 

Al wordlessly walked around the couch to the coffee table that held the decoded notes. He picked up a random stack and called to get Elric’s attention, “Brother, we should try looking again. Maybe there’s something else there that we didn’t see before.” 

Elric snapped out of his trance and turned before saying, “You’re right. It’s like a book. Just because you don’t like how the story’s going, that doesn’t change the ending. Maybe there’s something more.” 

Leo smirked and got up. The brothers were going to keep searching. She went over to the window but paused when she heard Al speak up, “Thank you, Leo.”

The girl startled. Weren’t they going to try to capture her? She was going to ask but stopped when she finally heard the message that the two brothers were trying to give her. They were looking at her with faith and trust, and it threw Leo off-guard. All she ever did was suddenly appear only to suddenly disappear. Why were they trusting her? 

They had faith that she would come back. They really trusted her to return. A genuine smile crossed Leo’s face before jumping out the window. They never went to that window to try and see where she was going. They knew she was going to come back. 

Leo then felt blessed because she dodged a bullet. She heard a familiar and obnoxious voice barking from inside the building, “Elric brothers! I know you’re in there, open up! This is the Major!” 

“Dammit, Andersen!” Elric shouted. 

Leo snickered; he was just mad because she managed to escape the wrath of Armstrong shirtless-ness. She had planned of leaving and waiting for them at Lab 5, but she now wanted to stick around for a few more minutes. As long as Leo was far, far, away from him, Major Armstrong was fucking hilarious. She stuck to the side of the building and waited. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yeah,” Elric scoffed as he threw a leg over the windowsill. “Sure we weren’t.” 

The two brothers had tied a rope to the bed frame of the bed from their room and were using using it to lower themselves to the ground. 

Al was already on the ground and waiting for his older brother. Suddenly, an ominous shadow loomed over Elric, and Al squeaked. Before the eldest alchemist could ask what the problem was, he heard the sound of the rope snapping. 

Elric yelped in surprise and fell on his rear on the ground. He looked at the end of the rope that had just been broken but noticed that the break was too clean. The rope had been cut by something. He looked up and saw a familiar girl sitting on the windowsill. 

“Wha-? Andersen?!” Elric shouted in surprise. 

“You’re still here?” Al asked, relieved and disbelieving. 

“Were you on the roof or something?” Elric pointed at her. 

“Of course,” Leo grinned. “Did you think I was going to leave or something?” 

The two brothers were dumbfounded. Al chuckled and Elric glared, but the involuntary grin on his face probably broke the effect. The moment they express that they trust Leo to come back, she decides to not leave at all. This girl was incorrigible. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

“A barricade,” Al pointed out as he looked at the front door to Lab 5.

“Yeah,” Elric replied. “We’ll have to find a more creative way in.” 

“Hey,” Al said as he looked around. “Where’d Leo go?” 

Elric jumped slightly and looked around. _‘Where did she go? If that punk gets Al and I in trouble ‘cause she wandered off-’_

His thoughts were put on halt when he heard a block of metal hit the ground. Elric turned his attention to the left of the door in time to see a pair of legs crawl into a rectangular hole in the wall. 

Dammit Leo. 

Al lifted his older brother up to the vent so he could follow the girl. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Al asked him. Even though Elric was going to be with Leo… Al immediately cut off that train of thought. He had the insane idea they would watch each other’s backs, but now that he thought about it, his older brother and Leo would probably fight each other more than anyone else in the lab. 

“Okay or not, we’re not going to get your big metal body through this vent.” 

Al sat dejectedly on the ground, “It’s not like I asked to get this big.” 

Meanwhile, Elric had managed to catch up to Leo. Because she was much smaller than him (he smirked victoriously), Leo was able to crawl through the vents faster.

“Why are you even coming with me, Andersen?” Elric grumbled. 

“Because I had to save your arrogant ass last time,” Leo snapped back. “And I wouldn’t put it against you to throw your life away again without me there to save you.”

“Dammit, Andersen! I’m not some damsel in distress!” 

“You sure as hell act like it to me.” 

“ARGH! That was one time!” 

“Uh-huh, and how do Al and I know you’re not gonna pull that stunt again?” 

“Shut up, half-pint!” 

“Quit yelling, Elric,” Leo hissed in front of the other alchemist when she reached a vent that showed a dimly lit hallway. This must be it. She kicked it down and crawled out, twisting her body around to attach her automail to the ceiling. Leo stuck on the ceiling as she waited for Elric to make it through the vents. Eventually, she saw a flash of black and gold as Elric gracefully jumped onto the floor. 

After he jumped down, however, Elric began looking around. Leo vanished again. Did she wander into the lab? Unlikely. The hall was too long, and Leo wasn’t that far ahead of him in the vents. So, where did she go? 

“There are lights on in here,” Leo’s voice made Elric jump. The golden-haired boy frantically looked around side to side to find her. There was nothing here but cobwebs, debris, and brick. Was Leo just fucking with him? 

“Up here, pipsqueak,” Leo said. 

Elric looked up, and there was Leo, crouching on the ceiling. The Fullmetal Alchemist nearly did a double take. Leo was defying gravity, squatting on the ceiling as if she was sitting on solid ground. 

“What’s wrong?” Leo asked innocently. Elric nearly snarled; Leo knew damn well that she was purposefully doing the impossible and being nonchalant and oblivious about it. Prick. 

“Quit gaping,” Leo snorted and began crawling on the ceiling through the hallway of the abandoned lab. Elric growled and vowed to himself to beat some answers out of Leo when they were finished here. 

He once again looked up to investigate Leo’s strange abilities. Upon closer inspection, he was now able to see a small flash of blue around Leo’s fingertips that glowed brighter whenever she would stick her fingers on the wall and when she would remove them. Elric also noticed that her feet were not doing the same, and there were small holes in the ceiling where her toes once were. So, Leo was using alchemy to stick her fingers to the ceiling, but not her feet. She must have claws on her boots or something. 

He was cut off from his thoughts when the floor under his foot suddenly started sinking. 

The ceiling above Leo opened to reveal spikes. She quickly jumped put of the way and stuck to the wall to avoid getting impaled. Elric had to jump to the side as well to avoid the spikes. However, he fell right into another trap. While Leo was just watching him from the sidelines, Elric had to keep moving to dodge an axe that had just come out of the wall, a storm of needles jutting out from the other side, and the floor opening up to a lower room filled with stalagmites. 

Elric pulled himself out of the trap with an exhausted chuckle, “For them to go through all this trouble, they must have something they really don’t want to be seen. I’m getting’ excited. I just love being right.” 

He climbed out and put his right hand down right on another trap. Elric froze and Leo just rolled her eyes. They black-haired alchemist jumped into the upper corner of the hallway and pressed herself against the wall. She already knew what trap was next. 

An ominous rumbling made Elric look up to see a boulder start chasing him. He shrieked and began to run. Leo couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry for him. 

Eventually, Elric tripped but got the brilliant idea of rolling into a corner to avoid getting crushed, and the boulder sailed past him harmlessly. “See?” he whimpered to himself. “And here I thought being normal-sized would be a good thing.” 

A snicker from above him made him look up. Leo was still defying the laws of gravity by crouching in the upper left corner of the hallway. 

“Dammit Andersen!” Elric roared at the alchemist on the ceiling. “Why didn’t you help me?” 

“Oh?” Leo smirked not getting down from the wall. “I thought you said you weren’t a damsel in distress.” 

Elric growled but said nothing. Why the hell was he demanding help from Leo anyway? 

Said Leo was crawling on the ceiling again. She was heading for a door at the end of the hallway. 

“It was kinda your fault ‘cause you’re the one who stepped on the trap,” Leo sassed. 

“It’s not my fault there were booby traps there!” 

Leo cackled, “Heheheh… you said traps.” 

Elric sweatdropped. He thought she was laughing at something else. 

She pushed open the doors at the end of the hall but still didn’t get off the ceiling. She only pulled herself up onto the wall above the door in the other room. Leo thought she probably looked like a gecko or something. 

Elric only followed her through the doors by walking like a normal person and began to examine the room. Leo also did the same, but something caught her attention. More accurately, the lack of something caught her attention. There was supposed to be a transmutation circle in the middle of this room. It’s where the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone took place. 

She watched both shows so many times, she practically memorized almost everything in every episode, especially of the first few episodes. There were booby traps in the ’03 series, and there was a transmutation circle in the middle of this room in the Brotherhood series. Did that mean that there was a room of prisoners and red water in the back of the lab like in ’03? The thought made Leo’s heart race. For the past three years, she has found evidence that she was in the world of the manga and Brotherhood series, but recently, she’s been finding more of the original anime. Does that mean Dante is out there and is pulling the strings behind the homunculi? Unlikely. She encountered and killed the Sloth from the manga in Liore. But then, why is there evidence of ’03? Are they just references? Or was she wrong about the nationwide transmutation circle plot? 

She was broken out of her thoughts when the familiar clank of metal signaled the enter of a suit of armor. It was seven feet tall and carried a katana. Leo turned around on her place on the wall, so her head was facing the ground, but her torso was still facing the wall she was attached to. 

Number 48.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	12. Lab Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Number 48, or the Slicer Brothers as Leo knows them, introduced himself as the guard dog of Lab 5. 

Leo jumped down onto the ground and stood next to her ally. She could just blast their opponent from long range, but she also wanted answers. The Slicer was willing to cooperate in both the manga version and the original anime version, so they may be convinced to give some answers as to what’s going on. Even if there were hints, it could help Leo differentiate the two timelines. 

One thing was for certain, though. The fight started almost immediately. As Elric drew his blade, Leo turned the metal on her gauntlets into twin blades. However, Number 48 was already where they were, taunting Elric with a condescending glare before striking first. 

Leo jumped back and hissed. He was certainly a lot faster than he looked. Leo drew power from the spikes on her back, channeled them through her armor, and transmuted the hood of her faux trench coat to wrap around her head in a helmet. 

She then charged and slashed down with her blades, but the suit of armor easily dodged. Leo’s blades struck down into the ground and momentarily got stuck, but she quickly pulled it from the ground and struck again. However, the swipe missed again. With the same arm, Leo tried a side slash, but it was easily blocked.

Leo’s heart stopped when she saw the blur of the blade rapidly approaching. Before she could do anything to stop it, she felt a slash whip across her chest and heard a rough scrape of metal against metal. Her armor successfully protected her from the blade, but the force of the attack made her skid back a few feet. Her jaw clenched. She knew that the Slicer was a powerful swordsman, but she was hoping that she would be able to hold him off. 

“Quit messing’ around, Andersen!” Elric snapped at the other alchemist. “You’re just flailing your arms uselessly!” 

“Who are ya callin’ useless, shrimp!?” Leo snarled back in frustration. 

Number 48 only chuckled. 

Leo tried ignoring the annoying brat and focusing on the mass murderer in front of her. The suit of armor appeared amused, as if he couldn’t believe that his opponents had the nerve to argue amongst themselves when they were facing a famous killer. 

However, as much as Leo hated to admit it, she was absolutely horrible at close combat. She hasn’t had a single day of martial arts training in her life. At least, with her armor, she can be a decent shield to take the hits Elric can't. With that thought, the fight continued, but this time the helmet was torn from the torso quicker because Elric had backup. When the body of the armor inevitably stood up again, Leo intended to block it before it could cut Elric. However, the Slicer thrust his blade forward in a jab. Leo hear the screech of metal before seeing the sword sink into her torso. 

At first she couldn't believe it. She heard and felt the clang of spear against shield, but the shield was somehow shoved to the side to allow the spear to hit its target. 

Leo coughed and put a hand around the blade jutting out of her side. Blood was oozing out of the wound and slipping through her fingers. She could taste the metallic tang as she roughly coughed again. 

Anatomy charts quickly flashed through her mind as she tried analyzing where the blade had hit her. She was struck on the lower left side and right above her hip. Looks like she got lucky and was hit in probably one of her kidneys. The blood wasn’t excessive, so her arteries must’ve been spared. But that means she’s still bleeding and needs to close the wound as soon as possible. 

“Andersen!” Elric shouted in panic. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground and immediately began inspecting the wound that was still oozing blood.

“I thought you said your armor was bulletproof!” he shouted in panic. 

Leo wheezed and spat out a clot of blood, “Yeah… It is bulletproof… But I guess that doesn’t mean sword-proof.” 

Elric was obviously confused but didn’t ask about it. He was more worried the puncture on her torso. 

To be honest, Leo was rather confused, as well. Her armor is bulletproof; she manufactured it and tested it, herself. It had defenses against bullets, fire, and even electricity, but lately, her armor has proven to be not as useful as she thought when she built it. 

Leo hissed and used the transmutation circles on her armor to move the particles to where the wound was to cover it. It wasn’t any better than a patch job, but it would have to work, for now. “Get your head in the game, Elric. We haven’t won, yet.” 

Elric bared his teeth as he quickly weighed his options as he was still facing a serial killer. However, Number 48 was quietly and patiently waiting. It seemed he didn’t care if both of them would face him, one of them, or neither of them. The Slicer only was only tasked with killing intruders. His employers didn’t care how or when; they only required he do it before they could leave the compound. 

Finally, Elric acted, but it was not what Leo expected. He quickly turned to Leo and landed a kick her stomach. The blow caught her by surprise and made her fall back and land ungracefully on the ground. 

Leo growled but was cut off when she felt something blocking her throat. She rolled over and spat out another puddle of blood. She dug her claws into the ground and glared up at Elric. 

“C’mon, Andersen,” Elric looked down at her but did not speak in a condescending tone. “We both know you can’t fight in your condition. We have to get you out of here before you bleed to death.” 

“I’m fine,” Leo growled and tried to stand up again, but a sharp pain made her flinch and prevented her from getting up. She snarled as she realized this did not help her case at all. 

“You’re a damn liar,” Elric spat.

Finally, Leo backed out of the ring and bared her teeth, “You better not die, pipsqueak.” 

“You really think so little of me?” Elric gave her a condescending smirk. 

Leo was about to snap back, but that probably would've started a fight, and that was something neither of them needed right now. 

Satisfied with his opponents’ decision, Slicer readied his sword again and prepared to fight the blond alchemist. However, he never took an eye off Leo if she tried to escape. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Leo knew this was coming, but she tried to not think about it. While she did think this was the manga storyline, there has been more and more evidence pointing to this world having more elements of the original anime. 

“Elric,” Leo stepped into the conversation, having a curling feeling in her gut tell her where the conversation was going. “You do realize that if they ever do return to normal, they would just be executed. They’re serial killers; they were supposed to be put in front of a firing squad. You stand there and taunt them by giving them false hope. But don’t you see the cruelty of it?” 

She stepped over to the torso of the armor, where the spirit of the younger brother remained. However, he did not back away like he did when Elric approached. It was curious, but, at the same time, Leo knew why he was still. 

Leo held a hand up to the blood seal, and the transmutation circles on her armor began to light up. Elric’s face morphed into shocked realization, “Andersen! You can’t-!”

He suddenly fell silent because there was nothing else he could say. There was nothing else anyone could say. Leo was going to kill the younger of the Slicer Brothers. She was going to kill him. 

The younger brother’s silence gave Leo the aura of conflicting emotion. Eventually, a metallic voice rang from the suit in an almost quiet whisper, “Andersen… That’s your name?” 

Leo looked down to the streaks of scarlet because that’s where the soul was, “Yes. My name is Leo Andersen.” She then allowed herself a small but reassuring smile, “Your brother will join you soon. It’s the least I can do.” 

“You have my sincere gratitude.” 

“I’ll see the two of you on the other side, eventually,” Leo said before bringing her hand down and shattering the steel that held the blood seal. 

Elric stopped and dropped the helmet in disbelief. Leo actually did it. She killed him. She ended a man’s life. Part of him knew there was no other alternative, but another part said that this was unjustified. He remembered Nina. She was in a hopeless situation, but someone gave her a way out to be able to be human again. Elric remembered that in that moment, he had true hope. It was said that separating a chimera was impossible, and yet, Leo did it. Leo did the impossible. But now, she stands here, saying that it is impossible to save the Slicer Brothers, and there was no other way. Then was that hope from Nina’s return just a lie? Was there really no way for Al to be returned to normal? 

But then, why did Leo tell them in the hotel room that there was a way for the two Elric brothers to get their bodies back? Was she just giving them false hope, or was there really a way? Leo saved Nina from a hopeless road, and she says that Al can get his body back. If she says there is a way, then there must be. 

It was then that Elric began to realize he had far too much faith in her. He was relying on her for the answers, but this was not her burden to bear. 

“Let’s go,” the older of the Slicer Brothers finally said in a monotone voice. 

Elric didn’t move, but Leo did. She walked forwards and picked up the helmet, cradling it in one arm before looking at the blond alchemist expectantly. She didn’t expect him to get up very soon; he was still in shock and in mourning. However, she still expecting him to stand up and follow his path. He came here for the truth of the Philosopher’s Stone. 

Eventually, Elric did get up; he knew why he was here and why he had to keep going. 

Elric began walking, but he couldn’t bring himself to catch up with Leo and walk beside her. Was it because she is now a killer? Regardless of how you look at it; whether it was a mercy kill or a self defense kill, Leo still had blood on her hands. And Elric just couldn’t walk next to a murderer. 

\--------------------------------------------

Leo suppressed a tired sigh. She should’ve seen this coming. She saved Tucker and thought he was going to be put in front of a firing squad, but she failed to remember that the military was power hungry. Of course, Tucker would’ve been left alive to create alchemical weapons. 

Elric, however, had an entirely different reaction. He burst forward, almost shoving Leo out of the way as he lunged for the former Sewing-Life Alchemist. Elric demanded to know how he was alive, but Leo already knew and so did the eldest of the Slicer Brothers. 

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Elric shouted. His voice lowered and began shaking in barely contained rage, “I’m talking about Nina. How could they allow you to live after what you did to your own damn daughter?!” 

“I’m living for Nina,” Tucker’s hushed and warped voice replied. “I know how you must feel right now, Edward. But please, allow me to explain.”

They were then led down the corridor to Tucker’s lab. 

“So the military staged your execution and then brought you here to make chimeras for them, is that it?” Elric observed as he entered the room that was filled with empty cages, books, and vials of chemicals. 

Tucker confirmed his suspicions but that only seemed to anger Elric even more. He demanded to know just how Tucker was made and who was running Lab 5. It was a question that Leo wanted an answer to, as well. 

Everything about this situation was challenging everything she’s known in this world. For years, she has studied Amestris and her history. Leo has mapped out every tragedy since its beginning, and the events line up perfectly with the manga storyline. Leo has heard of the Freezing Alchemist Incident in central, she saw Scar try to kill Tucker in his home, she’s even battled the Brotherhood version of Sloth. Everything that has happened so far was exactly the way it happened in the manga timeline. Leo knew there were going to be some changes because she was messing with time, but this was different. Lab 5 was built far before she came here, and there wasn’t supposed to be anything here but an empty room with a transmutation circle for the Philosopher’s Stone. 

“It is impossible to separate a perfect chimera. My daughter Nina is dead. There is only an empty shell of a dog chimera rotting in a military lab. The Dragon made sure of that.” 

“But Nina is-” Elric started but was cut off when Leo put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at the black-haired alchemist, but Leo only shook her head. Despite no words being spoken, Elric knew what Leo was trying to say. 

The military probably told Tucker that his daughter was still alive and a chimera in some lab. They were using that to keep him in line. So, Tucker was faking his loyalty by creating attack chimeras but was still trying to recreate his daughter behind their backs, so have nothing to force him to obey them.

But something else made Elric pause and think. Tucker said the Dragon was the one to put Nina in a lab. Did he mean the Dragon of Amestris? Why would he think that? 

Tucker ignored his brief outburst and approached a door on the other side of his lab. Leo knew what was on the other side, so she remained still. Elric, however, burst forward in crazed disbelief. The entire room was filled with Red Water and covered in transmutation arrays of the Grand Arcanum. 

Leo settled for thinking this moment, at least, was from the original anime, so she would base her assumptions from that knowledge. Which meant Lust, Gluttony, and Envy would be showing up any minute. However, she had no reason to wait. 

The Dragon gathered a flammable gas in her gut before exhaling it and igniting it. The fireball rushed forwards and hit the ceiling. There were supposed to be prisoners up there to be used as ingredients, and the Homunculi wanted Elric to create a Stone without him knowing that he was going to use live humans. Tucker and the eldest of the Slicer brothers were going to try to convince him to make a Stone, which did shake his resolve, so Leo decided to keep that from happening. 

The explosion was felt immediately, and, just as predicted, rocks and prisoners fell from the upper floor. Elric and Tucker did duck for cover as dust briefly blanketed the area. 

When the noise died down, and Elric could see the people that were still in the building, he turned to Tucker and demanded to know why there were still scientists here. Tucker responded by saying that these were convicts taken from the prison that was next door. 

Elric then looked to Leo and asked a silent question, _‘How did you know?’_

Leo didn’t answer his query but still responded, “We have to find Al and we have to get out of here.” 

“W-wait a minute,” Elric shrugged her off and pointed to her accusingly. “How did you know? How did you know there were people here?” 

Leo noticed that Elric hadn’t mentioned the obvious high-speed fireball, which was known to be the trademark of the Amestrian Dragon. He most likely did notice it but didn’t voice it. There were already too many things he didn’t know today and too many overwhelming emotions. Too much has happened today. 

“I can explain everything later, but right now, we have to leave,” Leo began pulling at his arm in the direction of the exit. However, they were quickly halted when a figure appeared in the doorway. The image blurred forward and attempted to strike the two. Instinct took over and Leo shoved Fullmetal behind her just as a kick landed on her face. 

She grunted as the blow sent her backwards. Leo hissed and looked up to see who attacked them and almost felt her stomach drop when she saw a creature with long black hair and an Ouroborus tattoo on his right leg. It was Envy. 

Leo snarled in response and began charging another fireball. She intended to destroy Envy right here. She didn’t care that he would just regenerate. She just wanted him dead no matter how many times it would take.

However, before she could fire, she heard a deceptively uninterested voice from the other side of the room, “Now just where do you two think you’re going?” 

Leo turned around to see Lust and Gluttony. The former hummed and turned her attention to Leo, as if she finally noticed her, “You’re the Amestrian Dragon, aren’t you? The one who killed Sloth?” The last bit was slightly spit out, obviously trying to hide her contempt for the death of her brother. 

Elric, however, turned towards Leo with a look of disbelief on his face. He has heard of the Amestrian Dragon but didn’t really believe in most of the rumors. A creature said to destroy buildings by just flying past them. The only proof of its existence were the ridiculous reported sights of a silhouette of a bat flying in the night. However, a thought went through his mind. Was that how Leo was always able to get away and how the military was never able to catch her? 

Tucker said Dragon put Nina in a military research lab. Leo was the one to restore Nina, and something like that doesn’t happen without the military knowing about it. And he has heard the rumors of the Dragon working for the government around the same time Leo saved Nina. If Leo was the Dragon, did that mean she became a dog of the military to save Nina? 

In that moment, he felt gratitude and understanding toward Leo. Elric also gave up his pride and became a human weapon for the government so he could have the resources to save someone close to him. 

Before either Leo or Elric could react, sharp claws of pitch black erupted from the homunculus and shot toward the black-haired alchemist. Her armor stood no chance against the Ultimate Spear and Leo’s shoulders were impaled. She shrieked for a moment before the wind got knocked out of her when Lust pinned her against the wall next to the door. 

“Now, Fullmetal,” Lust ignored the Dragon and focused on her real objective. “There has been a minor setback, but the ingredients are still fresh.”

Elric immediately understood the implications and responded in a soft and sacred voice, "You want me to use these convicts to make a Philosopher's Stone."

“If you actually make a damn Stone, I will gut you with it!” Leo howled. “Do you really think Al would want you to-?!” she was immediately cut off when another claw stood centimeters away from her face. 

“I would stay quiet if I were you,” Lust remarked. 

Leo felt a surge of confidence and was about to snap back, but it was almost immediately stomped down. She was certain this was the storyline from the Brotherhood series, but this entire scene was exclusively from the 03 version. Leo was confident she could survive the wrath of the homunculi because she was a human sacrifice. But what if they didn’t need sacrifices? What if Leo was useless to them? The homunculi do not hesitate to kill anyone they have no use for. 

Leo knew Elric wouldn’t actually make a Stone because it required using the souls of live humans. He would never do that. It was the one thing Leo knew to be true. Whether it was the manga or the original anime version, Elric never could use that kind of power. 

But there had to be some other way to stop this. There had to be a way out that Leo hadn’t thought of. She cursed at herself for being so uncaring about the situation. She was expecting there to be just a fight with 48 before the Homunculi showed up and destroyed the lab. But Leo should’ve known to plan for unknown situations. Her meddling with the timeline would undoubtedly produce many unexpected outcomes, and it was Leo’s responsibility to handle each of those possibilities because they would happen because of her. 

With that thought, she wildly looked around for an escape route. There had to be a way to flee. Too many unknown variables that Leo would have to sort out later, but, for right now, she had to get Elric and his little brother away from this place. 

But no matter where she looked, all she could see was the ominous glow of the Red Water. But that made her pause for a moment. The Red Water. It was known to be highly toxic because it is an unrefined mixture of alchemical amplification substances. But what was it exactly? 

Leo remembered pondering what Red Water was back in her world because of its odd properties. Some could just dismiss them as the writers doing whatever the hell they wanted for the sake of plot, but this was not a story. This was real life, and that means there are no unexplainable events. Red Water has to be made of something. 

Leo quickly went through the elements that were rumored to be apart of the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone and referenced their abilities with the strange abilities of the Red Water. Eventually, her mind landed on mercury and sulfur. The steps to creating the legendary Stone were said to be to create philosophical mercury and philosophical sulfur. She had wondered what was so philosophical about the elements. 

But what if it was so much simpler than how she originally thought? What if Red Water was just liquified mercury sulfide? That is the chemical composition of a cinnabar stone. That stone is blood red and is said to represent alchemy in her world. It made too much sense for it to not be a coincidence. 

With that thought, she clapped and transmuted her wing into an arm and stretched it out to the side where it touched the glass that held the red water. She sent a wave of energy through the wing and used alchemy to crush it. The glass gave way and the Red Water came rushing out. 

It immediately caught the attention of the Homunculi and Elric. Lust removed her spears and stepped back in a short moment of surprise, and that was all the time Leo needed. Now that she knew the chemical composition of Red Water, she also knew that it was diamagnetic. 

Leo clapped her hands and began manipulating the magnetic fields around her. Because mercury was diamagnetic, it would be repelled from electromagnetic charges. Theoretically, if you could manipulate the magnetic fields around a body of diamagnetic elements, you could indirectly control that body of diamagnetic elements.

As the Red Water rose around her, the Homunculi tensed up and expected a fight. However, Leo only wanted to flee. She threw her arms down and sent the waves down but split the cascading rivers of red to avoid hitting Elric. He put his arms up and braced himself but looked up to see that it had completely missed him.

Leo quickly got to him and pulled him up onto his feet before pulling him with her to the door, once again. However, her wounds were finally starting to catch up to her. She was starting to feel light-headed, and that transmutation certainly didn’t help her condition. 

While she passed through Tucker’s lab, she noticed the helmet that still held the eldest of the Slicer Brothers. Even though Leo was in an adrenaline-fueled state, she did not forget the promise she made. She grabbed the helmet by the plume and kept running for the door. 

“Come on!” she shouted back to Elric. “We have to find Al and get out of here!” 

That seemed to jolt Elric out of whatever funk he was in, and he twisted his hand in Leo’s grasp and ran forward, tugging her along. It was then that Leo realized how slow she was. Her legs felt heavy as lead, her lungs were burning, and her vision was getting dizzy. 

Elric apparently noticed her sluggishness and called back to her, “Andersen! Don’t you dare pass out on me now!” 

Leo tried to stay awake, but darkness was coming for her quickly. Regardless, she pushed forward to the exit. She knew it was not a matter of if she would pass out, but when. Elric suddenly let go of the black-haired alchemist and put his palms to a wall in front of him. The bricks exploded before him and he and Leo saw the midnight sky. 

_‘I guess that’s it,’_ Leo thought to herself as she transmuted her automail fingers to stay wrapped around the plume of the helmet. _‘That’s it for me.’_

It was the last thought she had before blacking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	13. Foreboding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo’s eyelids felt heavy as lead and her limbs refused to move. She could lift them but just barely. It reminded her of when she woke up with sleep paralysis. Was that what this was? If so, why did she hear a steady beeping on her side. And why did her head hurt? And why did everything smell like disinfectant? Just what happened? 

“You acted like a selfish child! You only escaped with your lives because you were lucky! And you put the lives of your brother and this girl in danger!” a stern voice was the first thing Leo heard. She still couldn’t open her eyes, but her ears worked just fine. That voice was familiar, but Leo couldn’t make her brain run through memories to figure out just who the voice belonged to. 

“Not all adults are the enemy,” the same voice continued, but in a softer tone. “You can trust us.” 

Leo has heard that voice before. She’s even heard that exact line before. She remembered thinking that the two boys shouldn’t have taken that to heart because the first adult they came to trust was almost immediately killed. Who was it? Oh shit, Hughes. She finally remembered where she was. 

Leo finally managed to sit up. She heard the rustling of someone moving on the right side of her as the girl hissed when the light hit her eyes uncomfortably.

“Andersen!” another familiar voice came from her right. How many people were in here besides her? 

Leo almost groaned. Only one person called her that. At least she knew the identity of one person in the room. 

“’Sup, pipsqueak,” Leo’s automatic response just made her head pound more. And just what the hell was that annoying beeping? She looked to her left to see a small monitor with a green, jumping lines. 

It was a heart rate monitor. 

When Leo looked next to that, she saw an IV drip. 

Her eyes followed the drip to her bed and disappeared from her line of sight when it traveled over her shoulder. The needle was in her neck. It made sense, in a way. Leo didn’t have any arms for the IV to be inserted into the. She was, however, slightly disgusted when she poked it but hissed when the needle jolted under her skin.

Leo’s eyes went across the room to the source of the voices and saw the pure white setting of a hospital room. When she saw who was talking, her mind immediately gave her the information about these two new people. Elric was there but so were Second Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Brosh.

It was then that Leo remembered what happened. 

The Elric brothers went to Lab Five. 

“Sorry for putting you through this,” Elric muttered guiltily and glanced to the side. Sounded like what Ross said has gotten to him.  
Leo only waved him off and tried to make a deadpan expression, “I’m just peeved that the doctors felt the need to take my pants off when the puncture wound was on my torso.” 

Elric spluttered at that random comment but said nothing. 

“I heard that the doctors couldn’t figure out how to get it off you,” Brosh added his input cheerfully. “I heard they had to practically use a saw to cut it off.”

Leo snorted in amusement. She did use alchemy to fuse the fibers together so that it fit perfectly on her body. Guess that because her armor was such a complex chemical design and was alchemically sealed, the doctors couldn’t easily remove it. 

Leo truly didn’t know if she should be amused or concerned. Probably amused that they couldn’t get it off her without a chainsaw or something drastic but concerned because she doesn’t know where it is or what they were doing with it. Hopefully they didn’t search and analyze it because the last thing she needed was someone uncovering all of her alchemical research. But at least they didn't do anything to 48's helmet, which still held the eldest of the Slicer brothers.

Leo sighed before putting her palms together and addressing the serial killer, "I'm sorry that took so long." 

The soul in the helmet didn't say anything, but the red orbs that were his eyes traveled up to meet Leo's gaze. Maybe she was still out of it from the hospital drugs, but Leo swore she heard a faint echo saying, _"You kept your promise. That is all I can ask of you."_

Without any more words from either of them, Leo shattered the helmet, surprising everyone in the room. However, Leo ignored them. She got up and began heading for the door, much to the immediate disagreement of the two soldiers who were in charge of watching Elric and his brother.

Leo didn’t care; she had to get her research back. 

Elric grumbled at Leo being a stubborn idiot (kettle, meet pot) but paused when he saw a flash of red on Leo’s shoulder. He squinted and tried to get a closer look. It was a circle with wings on the top, and there was a strange design in the center. He couldn’t make out any exact details, but he knows he’s seen that symbol before. Realization hit him with enough force to knock him back. It was an Ouroboros tattoo, and he saw it on the inhuman creatures that attacked him in the lab. What did it mean? And why did Leo have it? If so, then was Leo and those homunculi connected somehow? 

After a few minutes on wandering the compound, Leo finally found it by (not) threatening one of the nurses. Turns out they just stashed it in her room next to her bed, and Leo was just too stupid to search the room first for it. Thank Archaeus hospital workers aren’t as corrupt as the military or they would’ve sent all of Leo’s alchemical secrets to a lab. The last thing Leo needed was an army of bulletproof soldiers. Any good alchemist could’ve found out the secrets to her bulletproof armor by figuring out the chemical composition. 

“Aw, c’mon,” Leo whined when she finally saw the condition of her armor. 

It was in shreds. The metal plating on the chest had been torn open so the doctors could pull her out. The rest of the armor was also a victim of the doctors with saws. It almost looked like they purposefully trashed it even more than necessary. Truthfully, the armor looked like scrap pieces of a totaled car. 

“Ugh, it took me weeks to build that,” Leo picked up a couple scrap pieces and, after a few seconds of rotating it and mentally retracing what her armor looked like, saw that it was apart of the pelvis of the armor. At least the belt was still intact. 

“Whatever,” Leo scoffed and clapped her hands, the familiar ring of a transmutation echoing in the hospital room. She then put her palms to the armor and began breaking it down and remaking it into the shape it was before on her body. The material slithered up her arms, and the individual parts began solidifying on the places they were built to be. 

When the transmutation died down, and the armor fit comfortably, Leo stood up and began stretching to make sure the parts fit correctly. 

She then flared out the wings and began looking over the plating. After Leo had to be without her armor for a few minutes, she felt that it was kind of heavy. She may be used to the extra weight, but that doesn’t mean she can’t do anything to change it. Her armor has needed some upgrades, anyway. 

“Uh…” a stutter made her head turn over her shoulder and wing to the other side of the room. The three occupants in the room were staring at the wings in confusion. Oh, yeah. Leo might’ve forgotten they were in the room. She knew that Elric had his suspicions of Leo being the Dragon of Amestris before, but these two officers had no clue.

To be honest, Leo couldn’t bring herself to care. She took out her black notebook and turned to a blank page before sitting down on the floor. Her wings folded around her as Leo began sketching possible upgrades to her armor. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As expected, Winry dropping by the hospital was… an event. 

“I’ll have to charge you the usual rush order fee,” Winry grinned evilly and rounded her personal piggybank that was sitting in the hospital bed next to Leo’s. 

Leo caught her lie, however, “You forgot a screw, didn’t you?” 

Winry spluttered, “How’d you know about that?” 

Elric turned to her with disbelief on his face. 

Winry quickly realized her slip up, but the damage was done. 

“I ain’t paying for my automail,” Elric pouted childishly. 

“What?!” Winry yelled. 

“You offered to not charge for it before you knew brother didn’t know about the screw,” Al pointed out. 

Elric cackled and Winry flushed, eyes darting around the room for a change of topic. Eventually, her light blue gaze fell on the tray of food the hospital gaze Elric. 

The automail mechanic scowled at the empty glass and then at Elric, “You didn’t drink your milk.” 

Elric looked away and began to nervously sweat, “Why should I? I hate it.” 

Winry threw her arms up and started ranting, “You’re going to be small and stunted forever if you keep using that stupid excuse!” 

Elric bolted up with a mature comeback, “SHADDUP! I don’t have to drink it if I don’t wanna!” 

Amrstrong and the two officers decided to pitch in to the rather one-sided argument. While they were exploding bombs, Leo snuck around Armstrong and went for the tray of food sitting in front of Elric. She thought she got away with it because everybody’s attention was on the milk argument, but Leo was finally caught when Ross entered and pointed at said milk, “Hey, where’d it go?” 

All attention went to where she was pointing. The milk in the glass mysteriously vanished. 

Elric crowed in victory while Winry snarled, but before she could go off again, a new voice entered the room, “Miss Andersen.” 

All occupants turned to see a nurse standing in the doorway. She looked at Leo with an accusatory and unimpressed stare, and the black-haired alchemist shrunk behind Armstrong (a suicidal course of action, and Leo new it, but he was a decent shield). 

The nurse walked towards Leo and handed her a water bottle, “You should’ve alerted the doctors when you woke up. We were meant to discuss your conditions.” 

Leo stiffened and felt a rush of anxiety, “Conditions?” Now that she thought of it, Leo hasn’t made a single trip to the doctors since waking up in the hospital three years ago. Was there something wrong with her? 

“Are you aware that you’re lactose intolerant?” the nurse questioned. 

Leo relaxed and gave a deadpan expression; she thought her ‘conditions’ were worse, “Yeah, I’ve known for years.” 

Elric and Winry blinked in confusion. What did the nurse lecturing Leo about her lactose intolerance have to do with Elric’s disappearing milk- WAIT.  
Rockbell looked at the alchemist in question in disbelief, “Leo, is that true?” 

Leo looked away and began to nervously sweat. Why the hell did the doctors have to bring that up? She was starting to understand why Elric hated hospitals. 

“DAMMIT LEO!” Winry howled, flailing her arms out in frustration. Out of the corner of her eyes, Leo saw Elric breathe a sigh of relief. 

“But why would you drink milk if you’re practically allergic to it?” Ross asked, trying to diffuse the grenades in the room. 

Leo put a hand on her stomach and grinned, “Fuel in the tank.” 

Elric grumbled but stayed silent. Winry also grumbled but actually voiced her opinion of Leo’s vague answer. 

Leo shrugged, “It’s some good shit.” 

Elric glared at her now, “I hate you even more.” 

“The feeling’s mutual, pipsqueak.” 

“THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO ME? YOU CALLIN’ ME A PIPSQUEAK? A RUNT? A MIDGET? I’M TALLER THAN YOU, YOU MINIATURE BRAT!” 

“ARE YOU LOOKIN’ FOR A FIGHT, PUNY ALCHEMIST?!” 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The door slammed open for the second time that day, and Leo looked up from her spot in the corner to see who it was. She immediately raised he wings and shielded herself in a small cocoon. Unfortunately, that got the person’s attention. He seemed to completely forget his topic of conversation with Elric and told him to leave the room. 

Leo didn’t know what to think of herself when she internally begged the annoying pipsqueak not to leave for the first time. She did not want to go through with this confrontation. Call her childish, but Leo wanted to keep running. She abandoned him and his family and practically taunted them by watching them from afar, knowing that they couldn’t get to her. Elric did tell Leo that they actually cared for her and wanted her to come back. Leo felt like she always knew but just tried to ignore it to make her conscious shut up. 

Footsteps made her unconsciously transmute her wings to rise up higher so she could try burying herself in them. Leo really did not want to go through with this confrontation. A selfish part of her thought she could just avoid it altogether and just go through with her plan without any emotional difficulty. 

“Leo,” Maes Hughes crouched down in front of her. 

The girl refused to remove her wings and look him in the eye, but she felt he deserves that much. She did leave without a word and stay away for two years. After a few moments, she lowered her guard and looked up to see Hughes’s patient eyes waiting for her to say something. 

Leo stood up and began walking towards the window. She had to leave. 

“Leo,” Hughes’s voice came in a sterner tone. He wasn’t going to let her leave again. However, Leo did want to leave. She kept heading for the window in an almost speed walk. 

Hughes took a single step towards Leo in an almost angry stomp, “I am losing patience with you, young lady!” 

Leo stumbled back a few feet but tripped and fell. She wasn’t expecting Hughes to blow up like that. Now she was back on the floor with an angry Lieutenant Colonel standing above her. 

All Leo could do was just watch on in fear. She was just paralyzed. She had been dreading this confrontation, so she just avoided it, altogether. Now that it was here, she didn’t know what to do. You could call it running from responsibility like a child, but Leo didn’t want to think about it. She just wanted to do what she had to do and not have any regrets. But she was just being selfish. While she was plotting by herself on how to save the country, her adopted family was mourning and missing her. She never wanted to think they actually missed her because that would make it easier to stay away from them. And Leo deluded herself into thinking that it was best for them. 

Hughes undoubtedly saw the terror on her face and sighed. He spoke in a calmer voice this time because he knew she was in a difficult position. He didn’t know what that position was, but he knew that the girl was suffering. In the short time he’s known her, he knew that Leo had secrets (as did he and everyone he knew), she was still a relatively honest and compassionate girl. There had to be more to the story then she left because she wanted to. 

“Look, Leo,” Hughes began, standing in front of the conflicted girl. “If you don’t want to be a part of my family, that’s fine. I’ll support you. You may be more of a wanderer than a settler. Whatever makes you happy.” 

“What the… What the hell are you saying?! Of course I want to be a part of your family!” Leo stopped herself when she realized what she had just said. 

Hughes’s eyes softened, and he crouched down in front of his adopted daughter, “Then why are you so afraid?” 

“I…” there was nothing Leo could say. She couldn’t tell the truth, but she couldn’t lie either. Hughes was smart. Even if she did tell him a lie, he would figure it out, anyway. And that was a death sentence for him. He died because the homunculi found out that he knows more than he should about the plot to turn Amestris into a Philosopher’s Stone. 

“I-I just… can’t!” 

The silence and tension were palpable, and it was bone-chilling. 

If Leo was being honest with herself, she wanted to be a part of that family because it just reminded her so much of her own. It eased the pain of the possibility of never going home and being with her biological family. Even though she was suffering through the rehabilitation of automail surgery, it was interesting to read the history of the nation, it was fun to entertain the little brat Elicia, it was refreshing to walk the streets of a world without mind-numbing technology.

But she was here for a different purpose. And Leo had to understand and go through with that. 

Abruptly, Leo heard a shout of surprise from the door. She and Hughes looked back to see Elric, his brother, Ross, Brosh, and another man peeking in from the slightly open door. It looked like first four had been eavesdropping, and the other man caught them by surprise. 

The two officers immediately began spluttering apologies to Hughes, Leo, and the other man, but then jolted and saluted when they saw who it was. However, for Leo, the sight of that man made the blood freeze in her veins. 

Most people call him Fuhrer King Bradley, but Leo knew him by a different name. 

It was Wrath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	14. Something's Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“When I deem the time is right to confront the enemy, I expect you to join me in combat,” the Fuhrer spoke with a deceitfully optimistic and hopeful grin. The soldiers in the room saluted, but Leo was still in her place in the corner of the room. The other occupants in the room either forgot she was there, or they didn’t want to draw attention to her. 

The Fuhrer saluted when he heard his bodyguards in the hallway and escaped out the window. Right as he disappeared from sight, Winry came back and asked why everyone was so out of it. Elric answered her, and the mood seemed to return to normal. 

However, Hughes couldn’t help but notice Leo’s body language. He may have been paying attention to the Fuhrer, but he practically felt the aura of terror coming from Leo. Ever since she knew the Fuhrer was in the room, Leo bad been tensed and agitated, almost like a cornered animal trying to find an escape route. In the presence of Bradley, she almost looked scared. And in all the times he’s known Leo, Hughes has seen how she is very much like Fullmetal in a number of ways. While they were very different in terms of attitude (Elric being the loudmouth and confident brat with Leo being the coolheaded and sarcastic punk), they both had similar personalities. It was the main reasons why they butted heads so much. Both were headstrong, tenacious, and unafraid of adversity. So, what was it about the Fuhrer that frightened someone like Leo so much? 

“Eh, Andersen?” Elric called out to the other alchemist, grabbing her attention. “What’s wrong?” 

When Leo refused to answer, the Fullmetal Alchemist started guessing, “Was it the Fuhrer?” 

She looked down at her feet (which were still curled under her knees, almost like a cat crouching to pounce), and her shoulders started shaking. That only worried Elric more (not that he’ll ever admit that he was worried for that asshole), and he tried poking fun at her, “What’s wrong, Andersen? Scared shitless of the big bad King of Amestris?” 

He was expecting Leo to snap back at him like she always does but became even more unnerved when her eyes screwed shut, and her entire body began to tremble. It seemed like Leo couldn’t even hear what he was saying anymore. The sight made Elric freeze in disbelief; just what could Bradley have done to make her so afraid? But at the same time, she was starting to understand why Leo saved them from Scar and went out of her way to cheer them up after finding out the truth of the Philosopher’s Stone. Even though she and Elric hate each other’s guts, it’s still painful to see the other in legitimate distress. 

Leo was lost in her own thoughts and rising anxiety. Battling Sloth was easy enough. He was strong, but stupid and predictable. As long as Leo stayed in the air, Sloth couldn’t really do anything. Sure, he could throw things at her and try and tackle her with his superhuman speed, but at the altitude Leo was keeping in the sky, it was easy to dodge. Wrath is an entirely different opponent, altogether. 

Wrath was certainly not as strong, but he was much deadlier. He had the cunning of a war general, the eyes of a god, and inhuman speed. Leo reminded the battle at Central when Wrath stormed the castle. It was an absolute bloodbath. When Leo first saw it, she thought it was cool, but now that she is facing the possibility of actually fighting that monster, she couldn’t help but tremble in terror. 

“Oh!” Hughes tried diffusing the tension with a sudden revelation. “Now I see why you two fight all the time!” 

That immediately got Al’s attention. He would do practically anything to get his stubborn older brother to stop picking fights. Even though it was just Leo, it was still one less person to avoid if he wanted his brother to not go off. 

“Young love!” Hughes declared. Al felt as if he had turned to stone. Hughes was just fucking with him. 

Leo groaned. She so did not need this. Objectively, she should have seen this coming. Hughes has always been playing matchmaker with Mustang and eventually Elric when he met Winry. However, he had already teased Elric and Rockbell about a possible romance, so why was he turning his attention to Fullmetal and Leo?  
Elric fumed, “Why the hell would I like this arrogant asshole?” 

Leo agreed wholeheartedly. She crossed her arms and glared at Hughes, “I don’t know if I should be disgusted or insulted.” 

Hughes’ expression never changed, so Leo tried deflection, “If anyone has the hots for the alchemy freak, it’s the crazy gearhead.” 

“WHAT?!” said alchemy freak and crazy gearhead shrieked simultaneously. 

“Say a fuckin’ prayer for Elric,” Leo snorted. “He’s gonna need it.” 

Hughes chuckled, but it wasn’t an amused laugh. Leo narrowed her eyes in suspicion and felt claws of anxiety crawl up her spine. Hughes was up to something, and Leo would bet her bottom cen that she would’ve wished she had fled the room she still had the chance. 

“And just what is that supposed to mean?!” Winry screamed, raising a wrench threateningly. Leo gave her a dry look. Just fucking try it. 

“Oh, I’ll say a prayer for Ed, alright,” Hughes still had that condescending smirk on his face. Leo suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for anyone she talked to because she knew that she had that same expression when she talks to people. Leo knows the future, so she has a right to that knowing look. But what did Hughes know that Leo doesn’t? 

Hughes must’ve seen the confusion on her face, because he then addressed her personally, “You’ll understand when you have a husband and a family, one day.”

Leo’s chest immediately flared up in anger. An audible growl made Hughes blink. Did Leo have something against the idea of a future family? Everything about her was strange, just another file to add to the collection of the ‘things that don’t make about Leo Andersen.’ It was a very long list, and the more he interacted with her, the more mysteries he found. Her abilities were strange enough, but what interested Hughes was her psychology. Why does she do what she does? Why does she pick fights with Elric one minute yet fiercely protect him the next? But even with all these questions, he felt like he was understanding more of the puzzle, he just needed a few more pieces. 

Leo, however, did not care that she sparked Hughes’s interest again. She was just angry. There it fucking was again. Her parents back in her world always did the same damn thing. They have those knowing fucking smirks on their faces, fully confident that Leo will want to settle down when she grew up. Those arrogant bastards think that they predict Leo’s future goals and desires by basing it off their own goals and desires. What Leo never understood was why people think that the most important part of life is being in a relationship. The very word to Leo oozes with selfishness and malice. Just thinking of the word makes Leo shiver in disgust.

Relationships were nothing but a symbol of status and a waste of resources. Leo’s seen what relationships do to people. Having a partner means you’re obligated to spend your time, money, and freedom on them. And, in the end, a lot of relationships last a few months, at most. Why tie yourself down and sacrifice so much for something that’ll ultimately fail? 

Leo knew full well that it wasn’t always the case. Leo’s own parents as well as Hughes proved that, but what irked her was their insatiable desire to play matchmaker. Why can’t they understand that the married life isn’t for everybody? The last thing Leo’s going to do is tie herself down with a life of housekeeping and kids. 

Shoving aside that thought for later, Leo turned to the Elric brothers, “You guys go ahead to Rush Valley. I have something I need to take care of here in Central first. I’ll catch up to you in Dublith.” 

“No one asked you to tag along, anyway,” Elric grumbled quietly, but deliberately not quietly enough for Leo to not hear him. 

“Well,” Leo sent him an icy smile. “I wasn’t talking to you, pipsqueak.” 

Before said pipsqueak could detonate, Al held him back and continued the conversation, “Why are you going to Dublith?” 

“I gotta visit a friend.” 

Elric laughed, “You have friends?” 

Leo rounded on him, “As a matter of fact, Elric, I have a life outside making your life hell.” 

“As if. You’re not hell, you’re an annoyance.” 

“Edward Elric,” Leo put a hand on her chest in mock flattery. “That has got to be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” 

The poor shrimp flushed but said nothing. Huh, he’s easily flustered. Leo instantly smirked. This experience shall open the path to many future victories. 

“So,” Al broke them apart. “We’ll meet you in Dublith?” 

Leo nodded. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo once again waited in the shadows for something terrible that was meant to happen. 

Just a few yards away was a red phonebooth where Maes Hughes died in the original timeline. Leo didn’t know exactly when Hughes was supposed to die, so she’s been here since the sun set almost four hours ago, waiting for the soldier and the homunculus. Even though this was a tense situation, Leo began to read to speed up the time. 

But then, the sun began to rise on the following day. Leo’s heart began racing uncontrollably, and she looked down to the phonebooth. There was still nobody there. She ran back to Central HQ. Why didn’t Hughes show up? Did the homunculi not try to kill him? Leo desperately hoped so because they never would’ve let him live if they honed him in as a target. 

When she finally got to the Headquarters, there were military police posted out front to stop any unauthorized personnel from entering the area. That only made Leo’s heart speed up even more, but she wasn’t going to let officers get in her way. 

At that moment, she didn’t care if anyone saw her in broad daylight; she spread her wings and flew up to a back window and crawled inside. She had to know.

She jumped into the vents and desperately crawled through the building to the library part of the building. Eventually, Leo found who was looking for and jumped down the vents to confront him. 

“Colonel!” Leo whisper-shouted to get his attention. 

The Flame Alchemist looked around for the girl, a tired and mourning expression on his face. Lieutenant Hawkeye reached for her gun holster and aimed at the voice coming from the vents. 

“What happened?” Leo blurted out. As she dropped from the ceiling. “Where’s Hughes?” 

Mustang’s eyes widened in shock (and was that anger?) before collecting himself and addressed Leo formally, as if she were a fellow officer, “Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was murdered last night by an unknown individual. His body was found in the archives, with slash wounds across his throat.” 

Leo felt the blood freeze in her veins. 

Hughes was dead? 

How? Why? When? 

Too many questions were going through her mind, and she couldn’t make sense of any of them. Leo was going to change things, so why did Hughes have to die anyway? She knew what was going to happen and why and where and when, so she tried to change it. She knew that the slightest of changes in the past can make the biggest of changes in the future, but she didn’t expect them so soon because she managed to keep the timeline steady so far. 

Hughes was supposed to die at the phonebooth, and Leo waited all night. He and Envy should’ve been here, but Lust got him in the archive room. 

While it is true that Leo has been distorting the timeline, she thought it wouldn’t have any effect on how Hughes was supposed to die. He was supposed to get away from Lust, and he was supposed to die from a gunshot wound by Envy. Leo killing Sloth and Leo saving Nina had nothing to do with Hughes, so why did he have to die? 

She had to reorganize her notes and plan her next move. Things were getting way too complicated. 

“Mustang,” Leo called to him as she perched onto the windowsill. “Remember, the walls have ears, and not everybody is who they say they are.”  
The Flame Alchemist nodded grimly. Leo’s words were vague, but he had a very clear understanding of what she was trying to say, _‘Pride could be anywhere, and Envy could be anyone.’_

“Understood,” he replied. 

Leo nodded before jumping out the window. The occupants in the room then saw that Leo went up instead of down and onto the ground. Hawkeye was the first to react; she ran to the window and saw a flash of bright blue before the silhouette of a large bird shot into the sky. The Lieutenant could only stare in disbelief. Leo just fucking flew out the window. 

Hawkeye was speechless, and Mustang was completely unsurprised. While Leo preferred to stay secretive, she apparently was becoming more active as of late. 

Mustang addressed his subordinate, “You are dismissed, Hawkeye.” 

She snapped a salute and left, “Understood, sir.” 

After ‘she’ left the Headquarters, ‘Hawkeye’ walked down a dark alleyway before red sparks changed ‘her’ form into a random passerby. Envy grinned. So, the smaller pipsqueak was going to Dublith to recruit a possible alley, eh? Father would want to hear about this. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Elric and his brother opened the door to the train. They had just jumped off the platform of Rush Valley to the next ride to Dublith. As he and Al walked through the by the different, they looked for any sign of Leo. She said she was going to meet them in Dublith, and this was the last train that was heading to Dublith from the north. But even as they walked to and from all the separate cars, they never saw her. Elric first thought that Leo was flying to Dublith; she was the Amestrian Dragon, after all (Gate, that sounds so weird to say). 

However, Al did not know Leo could fly, and he sat down in an empty booth dejectedly, “Ugh, we should’ve known Leo we wouldn’t see Leo again.” 

Elric tried reassuring his brother, “C’mon Al, Andersen always shows up sooner or later. She’s probably waiting for us in Dublith, by now.” 

Al’s helmet jerked up, and the red orbs that were his eyes stared at his older brother, almost as if it was a look of shock. Elric began to sweat, “W-What’s up?” 

“You’re optimistic,” Al pointed at him, his voice somehow showing worry and amusement at once. “And you’re optimistic about _Leo?”_

Elric snorted. He wasn’t being optimistic; he was being realistic. He had looked into the reports of the Amestrian Dragon in a once desperate attempt to find answers of the Philosopher’s Stone. If that mysterious creature was an alchemist, then he or she must be using a Stone to enhance their alchemical power because the idea f using alchemy to fly was about as farfetched as bringing the dead back to life. It was a stretched theory, but the two brothers were desperate. What they found in those reports were strange. 

Some sightings overlap each other briefly, as if the Dragon was in more than one place at once. However, the documented times of the sightings were only within the ten minutes, so that means the Dragon could’ve been in one city then flew to a different one in less than those ten minutes. Which means that. Not only was the Dragon able to fly at all, but it could fly very quickly. 

In theory, the power and energy to move at those speeds was not humanly possible. An alchemist would need a Philosopher’s Stone to make that work, and that is what Elric and Al were hoping on. They chased the creature for months but were never able to catch it. 

Now that he thought about it, Leo didn’t seem very surprised to hear a Philosopher’s Stone was made from human life. 

Leo somehow already knew about the ingredients but never told them. She then immediately pushed them into going to Lab 5. She knew about the traps, she knew about the guards, she knew about the homunculi. He could see it in her eyes. No matter what she saw at that place, nothing surprised her. It was as if she knew what was going to happen before it happened. 

And at the hospital… he saw a red mark on her shoulder. He ignored it at the time because he just didn’t want to think about it, but now, he could see it clearly. She was not surprised by the homunculi or traps or the red water (hell, she even knew what it was made of because he saw her use alchemy on it). And that mark on her soulder. He knew he’s seen it before. It was a serpent devouring its tail. It was the Ouroborus. 

Elric felt his blood boil. 

Al noticed the change in mood from his brother, and it was not a good one. “Uh, brother? Are you okay? Did something happen?” 

Elric growled under his breath in barely concealed rage, “Andersen knew about the Philosopher’s Stone. She knew all along the main ingredient was human life. She was just using us.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Normally, the Dragon doesn’t really pay attention to what happens below her when she’s flying. It’s not like she has to share the airspace with anything else except birds. However, something caught her attention at the border of Dublith; there were quite a few military cars parked at the edge of the town. None of them were moving, and around a dozen soldiers were standing next to them. They weren’t doing anything but standing there. As she got closer, she saw that they were facing her direction, and they seemed to be watching and waiting for her. 

Now she was curious. As she flew closer, she saw something that almost made her falter in the air. Fuhrer Bradley was with them. No turning back, now. The Dragon approached the ground and began beating her wings, unintentionally kicking up dirt that strongly hit Bradley and the soldiers behind him. She landed and quickly folded her wings behind her. 

“So, the stories are true,” Bradley looked at her amusement. “I was just finishing up my inspection of Dublith when I heard rumors of a rather large bird flying here.”

It took all of Leo’s willpower to not show the horror that surged through her blood. Bradley already went through Dublith? Had he already gotten to Greed and the chimeras at Devil’s Nest? Was she too late? 

She was broken out of her thoughts when she saw the Fuhrer turn to a soldier standing next to him and gestured for him to retrieve something from a nearby car. The soldier saluted and ran off. 

Bradley turned to the Dragon, and the alchemist forced herself to stand her ground against the homunculus’s piercing gaze. She tried to put up a relaxed façade, but she knew that the Fuhrer could see that every muscle in her body was coiled and tense, almost like a snake ready to strike. Objectively, Leo knew she was being irrational, but the part of her mind that was focused on survival didn’t care. 

“I’ve heard about your confrontation with Scar, the serial killer who has been targeting my soldiers,” the Fuhrer acted like the fabled Dragon of Amestris wasn’t ready to attack him at any moment. “He successfully killed nine of the military’s alchemists, but I heard that you kept his kill count from reaching twelve. You have my thanks.” 

The Dragon hesitantly nodded. 

“To hold your own against that kind of threat is impressive, even more so for an alchemist your age.” 

The soldier from before came back from the vehicle and handed the Fuhrer something. Bradley turned back to the winged alchemist, “I’ve also been made aware that you have done some revolutionary work in the field of chimeras.” 

Why was he addressing everything she’s been up to since she spoke to Mustang? Is Bradley trying to prove that he knows what she’s been doing? 

“You far exceed your reputation, Amestrian Dragon,” Bradley continued, and Leo had to wonder just how long he was going to stand here, talking. But, honestly, she much rather preferred that to death. That still made her wonder what his endgame was. 

“I have also heard that you are interested in an alliance with the military.” 

Leo didn’t like where this was going. 

“I would be honored if you would join me in an investigation here in Dublith.”

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo: _messes with the timeline to change the future_  
>  the future: _changes_  
>  Leo: _surprised pikachu_  
>  -  
> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their username is Hellcube


	15. Humans and Homunculi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo was getting more and more unnerved as time went on. She kept her wings folded, so passerby couldn’t see that she was the Dragon. But she also kept her helmet covering her face to hide her identity from the Fuhrer. Arguably, the homunculi’s greatest weapon against the sacrifices was hostages, but if they don’t know who the Dragon is, then they can’t use hostages against her. However, that was assuming that the Fuhrer didn’t know who she was already. Better safe then sorry. 

Dragon had walked alongside the Fuhrer through the couple streets to the Devil’s Nest. However, she made sure he was ahead of her by a few steps, so Leo could always see him in her peripheral vision. Leo made sure to get to Dublith days before the Elric brothers do, but it looked like Wrath still managed to get here the same time she did. He was supposed to show up after the Elrics, so why was he here now? 

The soldiers drove through the town but parked a couple blocks away because there were no roads to the bar. Leo was offered a ride to the bar, but she refused. There was no way she was going to be in a closed space anywhere near Wrath. She sat on the top of the car. It was still not a good idea, but Leo just told herself that she was a human sacrifice and that she didn’t have to worry about dying. At least, not yet. 

What unnerved Dragon more than anything was the actual execution of the people inside. While it was an order from the Fuhrer himself to kill every single one of them, Dragon could not stand by and watch. She had stepped in front of the storm of bullets and shielded the chimeras with her wings and armor. 

Dragon is not for the government but for the country and the future of the country. She protects the people, and she protects the land. She still had her pride as the Amestrian Dragon. 

The chimeras gave her a look of surprise at first, but they quickly caught on to the opportunity and fled. 

Dragon had demanded to know why they were executing them all instead of capturing them for interrogation, and that did make some soldiers pause. Dragon nearly face palmed when a few of them looked surprised and then glanced at each other in sudden doubt. Had they seriously not thought about that? Then again, they were soldiers, and soldiers don’t question orders. They only follow them. Dragon couldn’t blame them for that, but she did allow time for most of the chimeras to get away. 

The apparent leader of the battalion scoffed when he saw the victims scurry away. Dragon caught a glimpse the stars on his uniform and saw that he was a Lieutenant Colonel. 

Dragon only hissed at him, and that made the leader step back. The soldiers pointed their guns, but Dragon only sent them a dry look. They couldn’t see her expression, but they must’ve known that she was becoming irritated by her body language. 

“Good work today, soldiers,” Bradley addressed them formally as he came out of the shadows. “Rally the troops and move out for the investigations department to take over.” 

They immediately saluted, and the higher ups began organizing parties. Once they were out of sight, Bradley turned to the alchemist behind him. 

“You’ve caused quite a bit of trouble for us, Dragon,” Bradley’s tone completely changed, and Leo immediately knew that she was knew talking to wrath the Furious instead of the friendly yet powerful ruler of Amestris. Without waiting for her to respond, he walked past her and to where he left Greed in the sewers. Dragon did not want to follow him, but she almost felt like she needed to. 

Wrath didn’t come to Dublith to capture Greed. 

He came here to capture her. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Dragon always knew she’d be here sooner or later; she just really hoped it would be later. 

She and Wrath were travelling down the tunnels underneath Central with the latter dragging a paralyzed Greed behind him. Leo was also behind him, and she was thinking about freeing the homunculus. However, there was no way she was going to be able to do that without Wrath noticing. Out of all the homunculi, Dragon probably feared Wrath the most. His abilities just so happened to be her major weaknesses, and he was absolutely ruthless. 

When the three of them passed through the tunnel that was covered in scattered human remains, Leo cringed but kept moving forward. She’s seen bones and smelt death before, so what was new? 

It was a long, silent, and tense walk to Father’s hideout, but it didn’t surprise Dragon at all. They were walking underneath the largest city in the country from the border to its center. 

Something that Dragon found odd was how Greed was completely limp and lifeless as he was being dragged through the sewers. He still had blades protruding out of the red tattoos on his body, and that made Dragon think about what they were. She knew that impaling a homunculus through several of those red nodes can incapacitate them, but what were they and how did they completely shut off a homunculus? Was it a failsafe the Dwarf in the Flask made when he created them? 

Eventually, Wrath stopped at the end of the hall and opened a door. Dragon knew what was on the other side of it and tensed. She was entering a hornet’s nest, and the leader of them was sitting in his throne at the center of the room. Just like the anime, he had ghostly pale skin and dull yellow eyes. If Dragon didn’t know any better, she’d say he was dead and frozen in a state of rigor mortis. Finally, the figure began to speak, and it chilled Dragon, “So, you’re the Amestrian Dragon?” 

Said folklore didn’t respond with words, but she did flex her claws. Honestly, she was rather nervous. She didn’t know why she was here, but the paranoia in her head told her that maybe they knew about her meddling. 

“Killing Sloth,” the Dwarf in the Flask began slowly listing the number of things the Dragon has done to get in the way of their plans. The alchemist almost gulped. They did know, but now the question was what were they going to do about it. Also, how did they know? Dragon made sure to be extremely paranoid because she knew what these creatures were capable of. “Closing the tunnels, stopping the chaos in Liore, and then there was your plan to meet with a rouge homunculus.” 

The leader of the homunculi stood up and gestured to Greed, who was still restrained by a chain but was looking on in amusement. 

Dragon said nothing, but her glare never stopped. 

“I believe you know more than what you are letting on,” he stood up in his chair with his amber eyes boring into the Dragon’s helmet. 

“I sent you a warning, Dragon,” the head homunculus almost growled, as if furious at her, in particular, for continuing to interfere, and Leo had a pretty good idea as to why. They couldn’t kill the sacrifices because of their future use. Most sacrifices do their fair share of meddling, but Leo goes out of her way to make sure their plan fails. She has been breaking it down and systematically destroying it, and the homunculi were completely thrown off. Isaac McDougal found out about the military’s suspicious bloodlust and sought to destroy it, but he was expendable. Leo was not. 

“Maes Hughes was killed because of your meddling, and yet, you still continue to be a thorn in my side. You are very well aware that you and the Elrics are important resources to us, and you have continuously used that to your advantage to make reckless decisions. That ends now.” 

The Dragon was still silent, but her wings began stretching out as she prepared for a fight. However, this did not go unnoticed by the Dwarf in the Flask. He walked down from his throne and approached the folklore of Amestris. With every step he took, the arrays on the Dragon’s scales shined an even angrier light. 

Dragon’s automail fingers curled into a fist, the claws on her gauntlet scraping harshly on the palms of her armored hand, “I have a proposition for you.” 

“Killing Hughes stopped him from revealing anything, but it also attracted some unwanted attention. Mustang is working tirelessly to find his friend’s killer.” 

“I’m well aware,” Father said in almost annoyance. 

“Then why not create a false lead to give him something to do?” 

The leader of the homunculi raised an eyebrow in interest. 

“Frame a soldier for the death of Maes Hughes. The punishment for the killing of a higher up is execution, correct?” 

There was still no response from the Dwarf in the Flask, but Dragon wasn’t finished, “You spare that soldier’s life, and I leave your plans alone.” 

The Dwarf in the Flask hummed in thought. He did find the logic in it and was most likely thinking of a way the Dragon could get around it. The plan sounded almost too good to be real. There were far more pros for the homunculi, and the only pro for the Dragon was she was able to save a single soldier. Was this famous folklore really so naïve? 

“While I do see how this can be beneficial to me, you are in no position to make demands.” 

Dragon almost scoffed. She knew that they were aware she could do transmutations without a matrix, so she wasn’t worried about them killing her. They couldn’t take any hostages. 

“You will not take any more action against us, you will follow orders, and you will not question them.” 

“So you expect me to just give everything up and become your willing lapdog?” Dragon growled, her wings finally flaring out in a threatening show. The homunculi tensed, ready for a fight, but their leader was completely unfazed. 

“You have a choice. Follow my orders or face responsibility for the murders of your family.” 

Dragon was not intimidated. She had no family. There was nothing the homunculi could use against her. 

“You were rather close to the family of Maes Hughes,” the Dwarf in the Flask seemed to read her mind when he cut in with that remark. “Weren’t you, Leo?”

Dragon finally froze. He knew? 

“Here is _my_ proposition for you,” the inhuman creature glared down at her, and Leo couldn’t help but shrink back, much to the homunculus’s satisfaction.

Leo wasn’t stupid enough to believe this was really a proposition. It was an ultimatum. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The written exam was nothing short of exhausting. She remembered taking the STAR Tests back in middle school. They were annoying, but the State Alchemist written portion of the exam was far beyond those standardized tests. She shouldn’t be surprised, though. This was known to be the most difficult test in the country. With the STAR Tests, Leo remembered she could answer each question (or at least make an educated guess), but with this test, Leo had to rush through each answer to answer all of them. She did use her classic test taking strategy of answering the easier questions before moving to the more challenging ones, so she could have more time on those. With the STAR Tests, Leo could take her time with each question, double check the answers, and still had free time left over. With this test, she barely finished. There was only two minutes left when she got to the last question, so she had to guesstimate the answer. She probably didn’t get that one right, and it has been bugging her all day. 

The second part of the exam was an interview. Leo had always wanted to take the State Alchemist Exam, but certainly not like this. It was either pass or watch your adopted family die. Leo was furious, but she couldn’t let that sway her results. However, it didn’t mean she couldn’t make jabs at the monsters who were pulling the strings. Bradley seemed almost amused that this human, this lowly creature, would dare to try aggravating him as if she wasn't in an impossible situation. Leo was constantly verbally poking him to see if he'd react. She wanted him to snap because she hated the situation she was in, and they both knew this. 

Honestly, her first thought was to demonstrate combat alchemy for her practical, but she quickly found out it was not allowed. Leo understood the rule that prohibited the practical exam to have an exhibition match because the two alchemists could have just staged the event to make it as flashy as possible. It was inconvenient, but the Amestrian Dragon could still pass without resorting to combat. 

“Andersen, Leo,” the proctor finally called her name, and said alchemist eagerly step forward. She immediately heard chatter from the officers and other aspiring State Alchemists about letting a kid take the exam. Last time this happened was when the Fullmetal Alchemist took and passed it three years ago. 

Leo decided to wait for the gossip to die down before she began. Most people had a plan to pass the test, but, truthfully, Leo was just going to wing it. Pun so not intended. 

She clapped her hands and put her palms on the ground, summoning power from the spikes on her back. The alchemical reaction forced a large boulder of earth out of the ground. While it wasn’t that impressive, Leo wasn’t done. She then changed the air currents around the boulder and launched it into the sky. Gathering energy again, she quickly manipulated the magnetic fields around the river that was a few feet away from her. The water was forced to wrap around her, and Leo concentrated the fields to make that water condense into a blade. That blade was then thrown at the falling boulder and cut it in half. For the finale, Leo exhaled and ignited some methane in her gut that was aimed at the debris. However, instead of a fireball, Leo created a stream of powerful flames that engulfed the shredded boulder. The remains of the reaction fell to the ground. It was just a couple singed rocks, but what Leo knew was most important was the performance and the possible uses. 

A show of her true abilities. Leo can manipulate the classical elements: air, water, earth, and fire. While it was almost suicide to show off all of her abilities, but what she gave was the general idea. She had far more tricks up her sleeves, but this should be enough for a convincing show. 

Leo then noticed with mild amusement that some other test takers quickly moved out of her way when she passed them. 

The rest of the test was interesting. The other people trying to become State Alchemists almost always had to look over their shoulder before they gave their demonstration, as if they were afraid the she would attack them at any moment. It clearly reflected horribly on their results. While the transmutations were not all bad, the reaction to her most undoubtedly appeared on their score. State Alchemists are soldiers, and soldiers must not shy away from conflict if they are ordered to charge headfirst into it. They were given an order but were faltering because of their own fear. It honestly made Leo wish she would’ve gone last, so she could see these transmutations at their full potential. 

The only thing Leo could really do at this point is wait for the results. 

She already knew she passed the exam. She had to put on a convincing show of her skills to make her passing the test actually believable. Those were her orders (she cringed in disgust at the thought of being ordered around like a mindless dog. She was starting to understand why people despised State Alchemists.)  
Bradley didn’t bother with the speech and just handed her the official documents. They both know that she was forced into the position, but he had to make the official paperwork to avoid suspicion. 

Knowing exactly what the documents was, Leo quietly took the official letter that was personally signed by the most powerful man Amestris. It had standard congratulations and stated that she now had the responsibilities and privileges equivalent to that of a military Major. However, what caught Leo’s eyes was the title she was given. 

The Zodiac Alchemist. 

She couldn’t help but raise in eyebrow in mild amusement. While this seemed like a shallow and lazy nickname, there was a certain ring to it that only she got (which made it even more amusing). While she is named after a zodiac sign, her abilities are based off the zodiac. Some call the classical elements of air, water, earth, and fire the astrology elements because all the signs go with one of those four elements. And what made it funny to her was that the word ‘zodiac’ is sometimes synonymous of divination and fortunetelling. Leo, in a way, can tell the future. 

“You are being assigned under Brigadier General Basque Gran,” Wrath stated.

Leo silently cursed. She didn’t know if this would be beneficial to her or not. Bradley was probably silently laughing at her. Leo saved this man, now she had to work for him.

“You are to protect the sacrifices and report on any possible new candidates. You will not interfere with out plans, and you will prevent the other sacrifices from interfering with our plans. Whenever you are not working under Iron Blood, you are to stay with the Elric brothers to make sure that they stay out of trouble.” 

Leo felt her stomach twist in disgust with herself. She tried to change things, but only got downgraded to a pawn for the enemy. However, that thought immediately gave rise to a rush of determination and fear. She would not just accept her fate to stand on the sidelines and watch the world burn. She would not be used as a sacrifice in the enemy’s game. 

She watched tensely as the Iron Blood Alchemist replaced Bradley as he left the room.

“Congratulations on passing the exam, Zodiac Alchemist,” the Brigadier General spoke formally and without emotion. “I’m surprised the Fuhrer assigned you under me instead of Mustang. I have heard the rumors that you only followed him.”

Leo didn’t answer. However, what he said made her stop and think for a moment. How did he know that Leo was the Dragon? Did the Fuhrer tell him directly? Had he announced it to the entire military? Or did Gran figure it out on his own?

“I will not put up with the same disrespect and childishness that Mustang allows. I expect you to obey my direct orders without question or hesitation. Fullmetal’s recklessness shows just how poor his discipline is.” The Brigadier General then took a few steps to stand directly in front of Leo as his glare tried cutting her down, but Leo met his gaze with her own without fear. She knew there were risks, and she was more than prepared to take them.

“Understand this, dog of the military,” he spat at her almost with contempt, and Leo had to stop herself from curling her lip in a show of irritation, but she stopped herself. “You are a soldier, and you will follow rules and procedures of all military officers.”

Leo knew the implications. She didn’t dread it, but she wasn’t looking forward to it, either.

“Sir, if I may,” Leo began, and Gran gave her permission. “I remember being told there was no military uniform in my size.”

It was more of a theory of why Ed never wore the uniform even though he was a Major in the military. Some people thought they just didn’t have any in his size, or that he was too rebellious to ever wear one.

Gran snorted in almost disgust. He apparently had strong feelings for soldiers who do not follow the rules, “We have uniforms in any size. Colonel Mustang made a special request to the Fuhrer and he accepted. This is a luxury you will not have.”

“Understood, sir.”

“You are dismissed,” the State Alchemist spoke without so much as taking his eyes off the window. He was obviously only tolerating her presence for now. 

The homunculi may think they are keeping her in line by only allowing her to leave Central as long as she is with the Elric brothers. However, they are constantly travelling and constantly meeting many new faces, so Leo would have plenty of opportunity to gather possible allies for future battles without creating too much suspicion. There was still a chance to turn the tides in her favor. The Dwarf in the Flask may now only see her as nothing more than a pawn in his game, but she is really the queen on the other side of the board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leo: im in the anime i'll just fix thi-  
> Leo a month later: fUCK  
> -  
> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	16. Bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

The Silver Alchemist panicked as he fell into the river below. He hadn’t noticed that Scar managed to hit him. His silver peg leg shattered and all Giolo Comanche could think was that he was going to be Scar’s next victim. Dammit, he should’ve been more vigilant. If Scar managed so many kills, then why the heel did Comanche think he could beat him? 

Water eventually drowned out his thoughts as he fell into the river below. Comanche waited for death but paused when he saw a flash of blue from the surface, almost as if lightning came down and struck the land next to the river. That made the State Alchemist panic more. If Scar wasn’t going to kill him, then that lightning certainly would. 

However, before he could do anything, he suddenly felt being forced out of the water from below and dumped onto the shore. Comanche looked around in a daze to see a clawed hand, dripping from water, that had erupted from the river. It must’ve been the thing to push him out of the water. The shredded appearance of the creation was an obvious hint of being the work of an alchemist. But who was it? Comanche turned around to see Scar facing off against a small creature that was crouching defensively in front of the Silver Alchemist. The blue sparks running through the scales and spines on the creature made Comanche gape. 

Was this the flying creature the people were whispering about? He had heard about the folktales of a mysterious flying creatures that ventures through Amestrian skies at night. And now, it had made a definite appearance to the military. Apparently, it made an appearance protecting State Alchemists from the bloodthirsty serial killer. Comanche felt a rush of relief. He might survive, after all. If the rumors were true, at least. 

But something did catch his attention. When his shock died down, Comache noticed a flash of blue that was hiding under the huge jet-back wings. That flash of cobalt was the familiar blue of the Amestrian military uniform, and the serial killer seemed to have noticed it, too. 

“So, the Amestrian Dragon is a military dog,” Scar growled. 

Said Dragon didn’t reply in words but flared her wings out threateningly. She didn’t want to kill him, but she would if he didn’t back off. He had a part to play later, but if he kept interfering, keeping him alive would only be more harmful than beneficial. 

However, Scar got the message. Dragon didn’t want to kill him. Every time they had met, Dragon deliberately let him get away even though he was a serial killer. She never even tried to catch him. It caught Scar’s attention. Why did she want him alive? If not to capture him, then why did she refuse to kill him? 

\---------------------------------------------------------

Leo sighed. She thought Flame overworked her, but Iron Blood took it to a whole new level. Not only did he have flying around the country destroying anything he told her to, but she had to do the paperwork for the destruction of property on the missions. Physically exhausting herself from flying nonstop and night and mentally exhausting herself from stacks of paperwork during the day, and she even had to do other subordinates’ work. Call her a brat, but Leo was starting to think the Brigadier General was just out to make her life miserable. 

She finally got a break from work, but it was only because the Fuhrer took pity on her. Whether or not Wrath can actually feel sorry for anything is up for debate, but Leo’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. At least, not when she was this tired. It has only been three days since she began working as a Major of the military, but that was still three days without so much as a wink of shut eye. 

The uniform was strange to her in more ways than one. The entire situation of her being in the military was strange. Leo was still trying to come to terms with it. She is a certified State Alchemist. The entire situation seems unbelievable, especially for her. Even though she knows the real reason for the State Alchemist program, actually making it is a serious accomplishment. Part of her traitorous mind said he only made it because he opened the Portal, but another part of her didn’t care.

In her old life, Leo never considered the possibility of climbing to such a prestigious title. She was just your average nobody; a bit brighter than most brighter than most students but still average, nonetheless. She was never ambitious and never seeking fame. Leo prefers to just go with the flow and see where the wind takes her. But in Amestris, it felt like everything was thrown off its axis. For so many years, Leo has watched and admired this show, and the idea of being part of it was farfetched by itself. Being part of this world with one of the most prestigious titles there is was almost unthinkable for Leo. 

The pocket watch seemed almost heavy in one of the pouches of her belt, as if it was constantly reminding her its presence. 

Once she got off work, she didn’t go take a nap like a sane person; she flew straight to Dublith. It undoubtedly confused the homunculi because they probably thought she was only going to that town to recruit Greed. Finally, the town came into view, and Leo somehow felt her eyelids droop even more when she saw the buildings. She can’t get tired yet; she still had stuff to do here. 

As soon as her feet touched the roof, Leo was out. 

“W-What the-?” she heard a familiar voice cut through the peaceful darkness and made Leo aware that she was still laying on roof tiles. “Leo? Is that you?”

She couldn’t think for the first few moments because of the furious headache. It felt like her brain was twisting in her skull, and a cold burn pulsed behind her eyes. Leo groaned in misery and turned on her side, clutching her head. By Archaeus, it fucking hurt. 

What the hell did Leo do this time to make her wake up with a monster headache. 

A hangover? 

Probably not. 

She rolled on her back and groaned again when her stomach turned uncomfortably. On second thought, Leo probably did have a hangover. But when the hell had she started drinking? 

“Yeah, howdy,” she mumbled without looking up. She didn’t bother trying to see who was talking because her head didn’t want to move. Leo didn’t want to move; she just wanted some sleep. 

“You okay?” a quiet and metallic voice reverberated painfully in her skull. 

“No,” she answered honestly. “My brain feels like soup.” 

She finally looked up but recoiled when the sunlight hit her face, and she shielded her eyes underneath her already outstretched wings. With the wings still over her head, she peaked over the rooftop to see a suit of armor standing on the ground. It took Leo a few moments to remember who is in that suit of armor. “Alphonse, hi. How long was I out?.”

“Not long,” he took a step forward with a creak of metal. “What happened? We just heard a thump on the roof and I came out here to see you passed out.” 

Oh yeah, Leo flew to Dublith while she was exhausted from the sleepless nights and energy drains from constant transmutations. Since Al came outside as soon as she heard her land, then that means Leo was only out for a few seconds. 

Alchemical reactions take energy from the person, and Leo honestly didn’t have that much to give because she was being overworked. Memories came flooding back and hit her headache for a few moments. Leo inaudibly hissed and ran a hand down her face, instinctively curling back her fingers so the claws on her armor don’t leave trails of blood on her face. 

Leo’s head hurt, but at least she now remembered why. 

She stood up and stretched her arms out, but it only really reminded her that she has automail because only her shoulders rolled and because of the missing and satisfying sound of joints popping. It didn’t quite wake her up, but she wasn’t completely braindead anymore. Leo jumped off the roof and slowed her landing with alchemy before landing on the ground. The sparks of light and the pulse of energy only intensified her headache, but she already has too much to complain about.

With that thought, she collapsed on her ass as soon as her feet touched the ground. 

“Alphonse,” a woman’s voice called out to them from inside the building. “What’s going on?” 

The boy in armor hesitated, but, in that time, Leo heard the footsteps of someone coming outside. She looked up from her spot on the ground to see Izumi Curtis standing outside her butcher shop with an unhappy frown. 

“I do not appreciate dogs of the military trespassing on my property,” the woman growled, and Leo and Al had to force themselves not to flinch back at the tone and the aggressive message. Oh shit, yeah. Leo was still wearing her blue military uniform with the exception of the huge black wings that stretched out from her the back of her jacket. 

Al tried explaining to his teacher, “But teacher! She’s a friend of mine!” 

However, Leo didn’t really care that Izumi wanted her gone. This was her property, and she can decide who sets foot here. Plus, Leo had other things to do. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll leave right away.” 

Leo stood up and made her way to the exit, but she overestimated her sense of balance when she stood up. Almost immediately, her legs began to shake, and she collapsed on the ground. For a few seconds, Leo’s vision blurred, and she felt like she was going to pass out. 

Leo almost groaned in annoyance. There was no way she was going to do what she needed to do when she felt like she was going to pass out every five seconds.

She barely felt hands wrap around her shoulders and help her to her feet because movement in general (even though it was rather slow and gentle) made her head pulse even more. Her vision spun violently, and she brought her hands up to her face, fighting to keep her stomach contents down. 

“Teacher-!” Leo heard Al’s voice protesting, and that was apparently enough to get Izumi to help her into the house. 

Leo barely heard footsteps before the spinning world finally went black. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Leo hissed when a headache was the first thing she felt when she woke up. 

“Are you alright, young lady?” she heard a voice from her side as a response to the sound of distress from Leo. She remembered what happened and almost groaned again. 

“You were absolutely exhausted,” Izumi commented. 

Leo waved her off, “I’m always tired. I was just a little more tired than usual today, I guess.” 

“It is a shame that children like you and Ed are in the military.” 

Leo blinked. She didn’t know where that came from, but she wasn’t about to say anything. She knew that Izumi hated State Alchemists, but this was directed towards the military specifically. “I’m alright. Just a lot of long transmutations.” 

She rubbed her eyes but flinched when her claws scraped her eyelids. “I just lost a lot of energy. And my sanity, I think. This headache is killing me.” 

“Can you stand?” Izumi asked. 

“Yeah. Just give me a sec.” 

Leo stood and her vision immediately began turning. It was like spinning for hours and finally and suddenly stopping to see the world still twisting. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself. Thankfully, nausea didn’t hit her yet, but Leo didn’t want to jinx it. 

“The hell did you do?” Elric appeared (where the hell did he come from?) and looked her up and down. It was obvious her body language and aura just reeked of fatigue and nausea, but Leo couldn’t bring herself to care. “You collapsed at the door and everyone freaked out until you started snoring.” 

“I don’t fucking snore, Elric,” Leo growled immediately. 

“Yes, you do.” 

“Fuck you.” 

Archaeus, her headache flared up again as the familiar adrenaline pulsed through her body. Usually that rush fuels the fire in her gut and racing through her veins in excitement. But now, that adrenaline was a hammer that was driving spikes of pain into her skull. Elric needs to go the fuck away. His very presence was making Leo’s headache worse. 

“Both of you, enough!” Izumi barked. Elric flinched back, but Leo couldn’t find the energy to be scared. 

Al was scared but still tried reasoning with his teacher, “But they’ve always been like this! It’s not a big deal, really!” 

Izumi turned her glare at the boy in armor and Alphonse squeaked. 

“They fight like this all the time? That doesn’t make it any better, hell, it makes it worse!” 

Leo didn’t really care when she was dumped on Yock Island with Elric. She could just fly away whenever she wanted to. Izumi probably did this to teach the two of them a lesson, but Leo was honestly uninterested. However, she did come to Dublith to investigate Yock Island. 

Elric had immediately stomped away from her the minute they stepped onto the shore. Looks like he was angry for Archaeus knows what. Leo noticed that Elric has been in a mood ever since she woke up in the butcher shop, but she still didn’t know why. Was it because she was now a dog of the military? 

She spread her wings and stepped off the sand. The wind caught her in an instant, and Leo soared into the sky. Beating her wings, the Zodiac Alchemist began flying over the trees, scouting the island, unaware of the pair of angry yellow eyes watching her retreating form. 

\---------------------------------------------------------

To Leo’s shock, she saw Elric waiting for her on the edge of beach. He must’ve seen her take off and has been waiting there ever since. Leo must’ve been gone for at least an hour or two. 

“And just what the hell are you doing here?” he growled. Apparently, he thought that she left the moment he saw her take off. 

Leo folded her wings back onto her armor with a flash of light. “I still have responsibilities outside by babysitting you.” 

“Responsibilities, my ass,” Elric stomped closer to her. 

Leo paused when she took a look at the expression on Elric’s face. He wasn’t just messing with her, anymore; he was fucking pissed. Leo gave him a confused look, which seemed to only make Elric angrier. 

“You fucking knew,” Elric snarled. 

Leo’s blood ran cold, and her mind raced a mile a minute. What was he talking about? What did he find out about her? She mentally retraced her steps since she met him. 

“You knew about the ingredients for the Philosopher’s Stone,” Elric growled out. “You didn’t tell me about the truth of the Stone, and you pushed me to keep pursuing it into Lab 5. And you knew about the traps, you knew about the guards, you knew about the homunculi. You were just keeping me alive so they could use me to make the Stone. And in the hospital…” 

He lunged forward and latched his hands onto Leo’s collar. She gasped in shock and tried to stumble back, but Elric whirled around and slammed her against one of the trees. Leo tried to snarl, but all that came out was a choked gargle in her throat. 

“At the hospital, I saw an Ouroboros tattoo on your shoulder. It’s the same symbol those damn homunculi had. You’re working with them, AREN’T YOU?!” 

Leo wanted to defend herself but felt like she couldn’t say a word. Sure, they picked fights with each other, but this was different. Before, they were just messing with each other, seeing who would crack first. It was just the relationship they had. Neither of them held actual hatred for each other. It was just as it sounded like: a childish game. 

Leo finally managed a few words in defense, “I’m not working with the homunculi.” 

“How the hell are you going to prove that?” Elric gritted his teeth, the grip on Leo’s collar starting to tremble with rage. “How do I know you’re not going to lie to me like you always have?” 

Leo’s mind raced (‘Really, how can I prove it? Everything about my circumstances and what I’ve done is suspicious. But I can’t really tell him I’m from the other side of the Gate, can I?’ she thought groggily) before finally analyzing what Elric accused her of. He thought that Leo was working with the homunculi (or might even be a homunculus) because of the mark on her left shoulder. 

Leo pointed to her shoulder in question before clapping her hands and grabbing the armor that was covering her tattoo. Elric jumped back, thinking that Leo was going to try and attack him. However, Leo only wheezed before peeling back the military blue and scaly armor covering her left shoulder. 

The armor crawled back so Elric could clearly see that Leo had a tattoo on her left shoulder, but it was not an Ouroboros. At first glance, Elric could clearly see the same red creature with wings, but now he could see the differences in the two tattoos. The creatures at the lab were branded with the symbol of a serpent devouring its own tail, but Leo was branded with two serpent-like creatures fighting each other. The homunculi had Ouroboros tattoos; Leo had a tattoo of the two contraries. The looked strikingly similar, but they had completely different meanings. 

It relaxed Elric slightly, but he was still suspicious. Why did Leo have this mark? And how was she connected to the homunculi, then? 

“So, you have a different tattoo,” Elric sneered. “That doesn’t change anything. How did you-?!” 

“I knew about the ingredients for a Stone,” Leo finally said and looked away. “But I… I didn’t know how to make one.” 

That was a pathetic excuse, and Leo knew it. And Elric seemed to think the same. He stormed forwards and snarled in the other’s face, “You piss me the fuck off.” 

“I know. I’m sorry,” she almost thought she was going to start crying and felt pathetic. She found herself rambling. “I-I should’ve told you. I should’ve found another way. I should’ve done something different-” 

She could’ve told the Elric brothers about the truth of the Philosopher’s Stone and Lab 5 without sending them on wild goose chases. 

Leo knew that Nina was going to be turned into a chimera, so she could’ve done something. She could’ve just saved Nina and killed Tucker, herself. She could’ve found a way to expose the former Sewing-Life Alchemist without putting a four-year-old through a living hell. 

If she just told Mustang that Hughes died in the original timeline, then he could’ve done more than Leo ever could to protect him. And because of Leo was so idiotic, Mustang lost his best friend and Gracia lost her husband and Elicia lost their father. 

Why the hell was she so damn stupid?! 

Archaeus, if this is how she reacts when Elric found out about Leo knowing about the Stone, what the hell is going to happen if Fullmetal finds out about Hohenheim? About Hughes? About Nina? 

Why was she breaking down about this now? Leo made a plan years ago on how she was going to handle the crisis in Amestris. Sometimes, lines had to be crossed and people had to be used as pawns to win the game. Leo knew this, so why was she suddenly feeling guilty about it now? Was it because someone was actually confronting her about her methods? 

What a fucking coward. She was just running from responsibility, and when it finally caught up to her in the form of an angry, short, blond alchemist, Leo was ready to have a breakdown. And why does it have to be him? Everyone else she has met has been easy to play mind games on. Just what was it about Elric that made it impossible to lie? 

She bowed her head in defeat and buried in her hands. 

Elric faltered. Was Leo actually giving up? In all the time he’s known her, Leo never backed down. Sure, in their regular fights, Elric sometimes won but not before Leo put up one hell of a fight. A part of him said that because this was a real fight, and Leo was really in the wrong. But another part of him told him there was more to it to that. 

He was broken out of his thoughts when Leo crumpled to the ground. “Okay,” her muffled voice shuddered, and it made Elric even more worried. “I’ll tell you. You deserve to know the truth. I’ll tell you everything.” 

Or the first time since trying to perform human transmutation, Elric was staring to regret his actions. Leo was clearly in a difficult position, but when he was yelling at her earlier, he couldn’t bring himself to care. But to see Leo in distress like this was an absolute alien concept to him. It was then that he realized that he barely knew anything about Leo. 

All they ever did was bicker whenever they saw each other, but Elric has always seen a knowing yet faraway look in her eyes whenever she looked at him, as if she has always known things about him that no one else alive did. It unnerved him, at first, but he learned to ignore it when Leo was constantly spitting insults in his face. It always seemed like Dragon knew everything about Fullmetal, but Elric knew nothing about Leo. 

Leo drew two circles in the dirt. They were barely touching each other and took the shape of an infinity symbol. She pointed to one of the circles and started speaking, “This is your world.” She pointing to the line itself, “This is the Gate.” She pointed to the other circle, “And this is where I’m from.” 

“You’re from-” Elric’s mind was racing. He couldn’t believe what Leo was implying. He gulped and tried again. “Y-you’re from the other side of the Gate?”  
Leo nodded. 

“That doesn’t explain how you knew about the Stone.” 

Leo still didn’t look at him, “I know I’ve been keeping things from you and I’m sorry. But if I say or do the wrong things, more people could die, and the future I’ve seen will warp into something worse. Since I got here, events have changed, and the more I change, the less of the future I know.” 

“The what-?” Elric faltered. His mind was racing with the impossible circumstances. Leo said that she could see the future. Just how much of it could she see? And has she always been able to see? 

Leo just explained she was from the other side of the Gate. The very thought made his heart race. Nobody really knew about the Gate, and now Leo was telling him that there was another side of it, a whole other world? There were so many undiscovered questions and mysteries about this world. Now, there was more to be found in other worlds. 

Leo gulped; no turning back now. 

“The other side of the Gate,” Elric started incredulously. “Is it the future?” 

“Well,” Leo mumbled. “It’s hard to explain. When you and Al were thrown into the Gate, you only saw a glimpse. I passed all the way through it.”

Elric blinked incredulously. It made sense; he and his little brother only opened the door to see a sliver of what was inside. Leo pried the door pen and walked through it. 

Leo gestured to the area around the two circles, “This is the afterlife, Heaven, Aether, whatever the hell you wanna call it. When you perform human transmutation, you enter the Gate to try and bring back the soul of the person you are trying to bring back.” Leo pointed to the side of one of the circles and drew a line from the center of the center to the outside of it. 

“I never did perform human transmutation. I was thrown into the Gate here,” she gestured to the line that connected the two circles, the two worlds. “I tried to escape, but I got out on the wrong side.” Leo drew a line going from one circle to the other, crossing the border between them. The pieces fell into place in Elric’s head, and his face paled in horrified comprehension, “Someone pushed you into the Gate, and you have to pay a toll to get out. You had to pay with your arms.” 

Leo nodded, and her lips turned in a sad expression, but she wasn’t sad about her arms. She was sad about her situation. Elric paused to think; she’s upset about being from the other side, why? Was there something in Amestris that she was unhappy with, or was there something in her world that she was missing? The absent look in her eyes gave Elric a chilling revelation. Leo had a family on the other side of the Gate. A family she was torn from when she crossed through the Gate. A family she may very well never see again because she has no way of knowing how to get home. That’s why she never wanted to get close to the Hughes’. Because she was guilty. She has a family, and that family was missing her back in her world. She felt like she had no right to be living her life happily when her family was back home suffering in her absence.

Elric snarled, and Leo instinctively flinched back, “How the hell is that Equivalent Exchange? Al and I paid for our arrogance. It was our damn fault that we lost our bodies. But you, Andersen-” 

The black-haired alchemist felt paralyzed when she felt that livid golden gaze settled on her. Leo knew that Elric was mad, but not at her. He was mad about the circumstances Leo was in. She was torn from her home and her family and stranded in a world that she knew the future of. Knowing the fate of the world seemed like an even more terrible situation. To know all the horrors to come but have to figure out on your own how to stop them. If she made one wrong move, if she took one step out of line, the future would change into something even more horrible. 

“You never asked for this. You never committed the taboo, so why the hell are you getting punished? Why did you have to be torn from your family alone and without your arms?” 

Leo didn’t move. Elric thought she didn’t have anything to say, but her expression told the gold-haired alchemist that she had too much to say. Elric mentally reviewed everything Leo has said and done to them and for them since they met. He felt his world tip off its axis, but, at the same time. Everything about Leo suddenly made sense. She rushed her automail operation because she knows what is to come but couldn’t do anything about it when she’s missing two limbs. She somehow showed up in the right place at the right time, like when she saved the brothers from Scar. Speaking of Scar, Leo was also conversing with Scar in the streets about his past, when the military didn’t even know he was Ishvalan. 

“Equivalent Exchange is a myth,” he quoted Leo when she tried to cheer them up after they found out the truth of the Philosopher’s Stone. “Sometimes the world takes and takes and never gives back what it owes.” 

Leo had a small but sad smile on her face, “But, at the same time, you don’t have to suffer for in order to earn the good that comes your way.” 

It was deathly quiet between them. It seemed like neither of them breathed as the world continued to move around them. Elric looked up at the girl in front of him. Her head was down, and her shoulders were hunched over but still slightly moving up and down with her quiet breathing. 

“I think,” Elric whispered out, so quiet that Leo almost didn’t hear it. “I think I understand you now, Leo.” 

The girl still didn’t move. It felt as if her mind was racing, yet she could not pull any cohesive thoughts. Her mind was blank but also racing. Her blood was frozen, but her heartbeat still boomed in her ears. But Leo was able to pull one thing out of her mess of a mind. Elric called her by her first name. He hadn’t done that since they first met back in Resembool three years ago. Was it because it is as he claimed? Had they finally reached common grounds? 

“Everything was taken from you for no reason at all, so you try to help people for no reason at all.” 

Leo had mixed feelings with calling Elric a friend. They hated each other, but it was not with real hatred. Leo certainly had no problem with the game they played. Leo would say something stupid, and Elric would pick a fight, or vice versa. It was always fun, no matter what anyone else said. But now, when given the opportunity to understand each other, Leo felt tranquil. She felt at peace. 

Out of habit, she looked up at the stars, tracing the patterns and constellations in her mind. She saw Elric turn around and try to catch glimpse of what she was looking at. He’s seen her stare at the stars multiple times, and he has always wondered why. Sure, the night sky was a beautiful sight, but Leo never seemed to be looking at the sky. She was somehow looking beyond it, and Elric finally understood why. It was because she came from beyond the stars; her family and her entire world was beyond was beyond the stars. He could almost see it, himself. 

Leo didn’t even move when she heard the other alchemist move from his spot and sit down on the ground next to her. They sat next to each other and, for the first, time, saw the world from the same viewpoint. 

“Thank you, Ed,” Leo said softly, never taking her eyes off the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	17. Phase Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

“Have you two learned your lesson?” Izumi demanded when she got onto the island. Sig and Al were waiting on the boat behind the housewife. 

Leo shrunk behind Ed as Izumi rounded on him and Leo. He was (a little) used to his teacher’s rage, so he would be an ideal shield. 

“What lesson, you old hag?” Leo muttered under her breath, quietly enough that Izumi couldn’t hear but Ed could. 

He sniggered and hissed tauntingly at the girl hiding behind him, “Try saying that to her face, coward.” 

“You say that to her face, pipsqueak.” 

Ed bristled. 

Izumi stomped, and the two alchemists squealed and jumped away from the housewife. She was about to hit them again, but Al bravely told his terrifying teacher that they usually bicker like this. While he didn’t see it before, it was obvious now that his brother and Leo had some serious issues that needed to be resolved. Earlier, at the shop, there was real bite and offense to their insults, but now, it was very obvious that they were teasing each other. 

However, before anything else could be done, a rustling was heard behind Leo and Ed in the forest. They turned around, and everybody else looked to the bushes to see a young child with long, black hair and wearing a loose, black shirt. 

Leo immediately recognized the kid as the homunculus Wrath from the 03 version. In the original anime, homunculi are created when an alchemist tries human transmutation, and the result of that is a creature with a body and mind but no soul. 

Of course, Ed immediately tackled him, and the child screeched in confusion and fear. Leo got up and transmuted her wing to reach out and wrap around Ed’s waist before pulling him away. Izumi ran forward and reprimanded her student before wrapping her jacket around the homunculus child. 

Ed wanted to say something, but Leo grabbed his shoulder and shook her head, ‘Not now.’ 

The first thing Leo wanted to see was the homunculus’s right arm and left leg. If they were off-colored, then they must be Ed’s, and this is following the fate of the 03 timeline. She just had to wait and see how things played out. 

However, she had to make a call first. 

The first thing she did when she got off the island was call the Fuhrer’s office and ask to speak to Envy. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo had been with the Elric brothers the entire time since they found the homunculus child. She considered just waiting until the child inevitable ran out the house after Ed confronted him about his arm and leg. However, the last time Leo sat on the sidelines and waited was when Hughes was killed. She though that if she didn’t interfere, then things would go according to how they were supposed to go down in canon. But Hughes’ death proved that things are starting to become out of sync and unpredictable. 

The best thing Leo can do is personally make sure things stay on track when she needs them to. She was too passive about everything earlier. She was hoping things would play out when she wanted them to because that’s how it happened in the story. 

And, sure enough, she got the result she had been hoping for. 

“Is this my arm?!” Ed cried. 

The child shouted and crashed through the window, running for his life. 

Leo stretched her wings out before bolting outside the window after the child. She screeched and outstretched the talons on her boots to reach towards her target. The cry got the homunculus’s attention, and he turned around just in time to see Leo grab him by the shoulders and lift him into the sky with her. He thrashed and cried, but Leo’s grip did not falter. 

Leo heard Ed’s shout from the ground, but she didn’t slow down. She wanted to get this over with. 

The child never stopped thrashing, and, while it was annoying, it did not stop Leo. In the anime, the child could use alchemy, but Leo supposed that in the world that primarily follows the rules of the Brotherhood version, homunculi still can’t do alchemy. 

Not too much time passed when Leo made it to Yoke Island, where she knew Envy was waiting. Near the center, there was a collection of stone pillars in a small, dusty field. Leo did see Envy, but she saw another figure standing across him. It was Izumi. Leo cursed to herself when she saw the inevitable fight, and she was going to have to fight on the homunculi’s side. 

Leo dropped the child unceremoniously on the ground then landed but did not fold her wings. If she was going to have to fight Izumi, then there was no way she was putting away her best shield. 

The homunculus child momentarily cried out before looking up to see a pair of violet eyes on him. 

“Leo?” Izumi’s voice met the other alchemist’s ears, and said alchemist turned around to see anger and confusion on the woman’s face. “What is this? Who is this person?” 

Envy cackled as Leo hissed. Blue danced around her armor before it exploded in size, easily tearing off the cobalt blue uniform. Leo shot into the sky again. Izumi tensed up, expecting a fight. The Zodiac Alchemist growled before shooting a fireball at the ground in front of the housewife in warning. However, that only seemed to provoke her. 

She clapped her hands before throwing them on the ground and summoning a massive hand made of earth charging towards Leo. The State Alchemist hit the attack with a fireball several times before the creation crumbled. Leo honestly didn’t want to fight, but there was no other option. She just needed to buy enough time for Envy. However, the bastard looked like he was watching a movie in the theatre. 

“Dammit, Envy!” Leo shouted. “Get on with it! I can’t keep this up forever!” 

That got Izumi’s attention, and she focused her firepower on the green-haired homunculus. 

Leo charged another fireball and hit the earth arm that threatened to crush Envy. It exploded, and the shockwave briefly hit the two homunculi. Zodiac hissed; she just wanted to grab Izumi and drop her off back at her shop to keep her out of trouble. 

Luck was on her side for once; Izumi suddenly doubled over and began coughing. While Leo did feel a twist of disgust at thinking this was good luck, at least she can use this to make sure Izumi didn’t injure herself further. With the housewife distracted, Leo stretched her wing around Izumi’s shoulders and restrained her arms. Leo didn’t need her wings to fly, so she jumped into the sky and began flying for Dublith. 

She carefully dropped Izumi off at her butcher shop and left for Yock Island again but not before knocking on the door to get Sig’s attention. Leo rushed back to the island, but she saw Ed and Al getting in a boat to follow her. Leo dove for the boat and struck it with a fireball. It made the two brothers jump at the sudden explosion. The eldest looked up to see Leo quickly flying for the island. Destroying the boat would only buy so much time, so she needed to hurry. 

On the island after Leo left with Izumi, Envy told the child what he was. He was a homunculus created by Izumi then left in the Gate. When the memories finally came flooding back, it was as if a switch was flipped. The demeanor and attitude of the homunculus child completely changed. 

He shared his desire to be human, which was the reason he stole Ed’s arm and leg. He was not Wrath in this version, as that title belonged to the Fuhrer. Leo didn’t know what to call this kid, but Envy told her that the child was the new Sloth. 

That made her raise an eyebrow. Leo killed Sloth. She destroyed his Philosopher’s Stone; there was nothing left. How could he be the new Sloth? 

It was a question that Envy did not answer. However, Leo also had a different situation at hand. 

She hummed to herself in thought. Did all the homunculi wish to become human? She knew that (in the 03 version) Lust and Gluttony wanted to, but Envy couldn’t care less. In the manga version, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, and Greed wanted to become human. So which one was it? Or was it a strange mix of the two like everything else in this world? 

Regardless of what the others think, Leo knew that this new Sloth wanted to become human. She didn’t care if he had the characteristics and powers of the old one because it wouldn’t matter in a few moments. 

Leo put her palms together and touched the ground, transmuting the earth to attack the shape-shifting homunculus. Sloth looked at her in confusion, as he was told that she was on their side. Envy was also confused, but he was mostly angry. 

He didn’t have time to react when a flash of light burned from under him, above him, behind him. Transmutation circles. 

Pillars of earth erupted from the ground and encased the homunculus in a cage. Envy almost laughed; did the smaller pipsqueak seriously think that a bird cage could hold a homunculus? His amusement was cut short when spikes shot forwards and impaled Envy in all directions. The spikes landed because Envy had nowhere to run from the bars of the cage cutting off any escape routes. 

While the attack hurt momentarily, Envy, predictably, began to regenerate. However, more parts of the ground around the homunculus shot up and, in the form of clawed hands, wrapped themselves around Envy’s regenerating limbs. Leo was using Ling’s idea when he captured Gluttony. The arms from the earth would trap the wounded homunculus by taking advantage of its regenerating body. The flesh would continue to expand, forcing the trap to hold the creature even more secure. However, Envy wasn’t going down easily. He roared with fury and focused his energy on taking its monstrous form. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Leo stopped Envy. The homunculus in question scowled at the alchemist. “The core of a homunculus is a Philosopher’s Stone.”

Envy snarled but didn’t answer. He knew that Leo damn well knew. 

“While I was on my way to Resembool, I ran into a small-town doctor who knew a thing or two about creating Philosopher’s Stones. He knew, not only how to create them, but how to destroy them, as well.” The floor under Envy began to glow with a transmutation circle in response to Leo’s threat. “Make one wrong move, and your Philosopher’s Stone is destroyed.” 

Envy growled with barely-restrained fury, “IT WAS YOU!! You’re the one who let Dr. Marcoh get away!” 

“You’re right,” Leo replied nonchalantly. “And since you know who I’m talking about, I can prove that you, not only knew who Marcoh was, but you also were after him. Guess I was right to tell him to leave when I did.” 

Envy blinked in confusion for a moment. The brat didn’t know? Did she tell Marcoh to flee based off a guess? Just how much does she know? He’s been assuming that she knows everything, so he’s been letting information slip. How long has Leo known what. What does she know and how did she come by that information? This entire thing was starting to piss him off even more. 

With Leo, she could see gears turning in Envy’s head. She knew almost everything about the homunculi and their plans, but they don’t know much about her. She had to take every opportunity to throw them off and make them assume that she doesn’t know very much. If they think she knows something about their plans, they might try to change it, which will only be dangerous for Leo. She wanted them to underestimate her, so they don’t predict what she’s really capable of. 

“That must also mean that his information about making and destroying Stones is legit,” Leo finished. 

Envy now knew what was at stake. For the first time since he was created, he was vulnerable. The Philosopher’s Stone protected his immortality for almost two hundred years, but now it was at risk of being destroyed. But Leo hadn’t activated the circle yet. What the hell was she waiting for? 

“You were here to ?” Envy growled. “If so, then why don’t you just finish me off?” 

“Oh please,” Leo sounded insulted. “Give me more credit. Why do you think I was in Dublith in the first place?” 

Envy growled, but Leo could see him start trying to figure out what she meant. 

“Did I know that the Elrics were going to Dublith?” 

She was gauging Envy’s reaction this time. A possibility of how Wrath showed up in Dublith before she did was because he started his investigation early. That would most likely have come from Envy if he had overheard that something was going to happen in Dublith. Now the next question is how did Envy find out? 

“You told me to be with the Elrics when I’m not working under Iron Blood. But did I know that Ed and Al were going to Dublith? What makes you think I didn’t come here for my own gain?” 

Envy almost snorted, “We’re still holding your family hostage, brat.” 

“Did you know I can fly while carrying up to a hundred and fifty kilograms?” 

Envy’s eyes widened. It was a bluff, but Leo wanted to let Envy know that she can get away from the hostage situation any time she wanted. She can just carry Gracia and Elicia Hughes away from Central and even out of the country if she wanted to. So that would mean that Leo didn’t care for the hostage situation one bit. She was just playing along. But then the next question would be why. 

“This was my real trap,” Leo finished while glaring at her target. 

Leo burst forward and slammed her palms on Sloth’s chest, concentrating her power in the circle she held. A flash of blue coursed through both alchemist and homunculus which started a chain reaction that sank into the two creatures. 

A roar of power erupted from the violent transmutation, and Leo’s senses were pulled into the flow of energy. Familiar black hands pulled at Leo and Sloth as they were sucked into the human transmutation. Every instinct was screaming at her to stop, that the transmutation was too risky, but Leo couldn’t bring herself to cut off the rush of power. Agony clawed at Leo as she and Sloth were deconstructed and flung into the last place she was hoping to come back to in any other situation, the Gate. 

The slam of the door and the flood of vast white told Leo that she made it. She steadily climbed to her feet as the homunculus beside her frantically searched for an escape route. 

Leo ignored him for a second and scanned the area for the Truth. That was what she was really here for, but she stopped short when she saw two more Portals standing in front of her own. Leo’s eyes widened when she realized they were Al’s and Ed’s Gates. In front of Al’s Gate sat his body, but there was nothing in front of Ed’s Gate. Most likely because what was supposed to be there was now attached to the new Sloth’s body. 

**Welcome back, alchemist,** Leo’s Truth spoke up. It appeared between the two other Portals. **Have you come to retrieve your arms?**

It was then that Leo saw with horror that the Truth had her arms attached to its body. The alchemist, of course, knew where her arms went, but it was still so surreal to actually be seeing your limbs detached yet alive from your own body. 

Leo turned to the Truth, “No. I’m not here for me.” 

The thing grew a nasty yet interested grin, **Are you here for the Elric brothers?**

Leo shook her head, “Not yet.” 

Sloth failed in place before sitting up and crawling back away from the Truth, “Wh-what the hell are you?” 

**Oh! I’m so glad you asked.**

Leo rolled her eyes. 

**I am known by many names. One name you might have for me is the world. Or perhaps the universe. Or perhaps God. Or perhaps Truth. I am All. I am One. And I am also You.** Curiously enough, the thing pointed at Leo instead of Sloth, the creature who asked. It made sense. Leo was at her Portal of Truth, so the guardian of the Gate was Leo’s Truth. Said Truth somehow turned its attention to Leo, **What are you here for?**

“A trade,” Leo said. “An Equivalent Exchange.” 

There is no Equivalent Exchange, Leo’s Truth countered. 

Leo grinned, “Right. This is not an equal trade.” She gestured to the homunculus standing beside her. “A Philosopher’s Stone is thousands of human souls. I’m trading those souls for just one.” 

The Truth laughed, **So, that was your plan. But do you really think that’s even possible? You want to rewrite God’s plan? You want to change the future?**

Leo clenched her metal fist in resolve. That was exactly what she wanted to do. That was why she was here. It was just a crazy theory she had, but with what Truth said, maybe it wasn’t so crazy after all. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about why I’m here,” she began. “Why you took me from my family, why my arms are gone, why you sent me here, why I was given this tattoo on my shoulder. But then I remembered. The symbol you branded me with is an alchemical drawing called the Two Contraries. Two creatures battling for dominance because they are complete opposites, yet they balance each other out.” 

The anomaly that calls itself God stood still; its emotionless face gave nothing away. 

“One represents the _true reality_ while the other wants to change reality to their _ideal world_.” 

She pointed to the being that represents the true reality and addressed it, “You are Truth.” 

She then jabbed a thumb in the direction of the one who wants to change the true reality and declared proudly, “I am Ideals.” 

The thing was still motionless, not even its infamous smile grazed its features. 

“The Truth is that the future cannot be changed, but here I am. You say the future cannot be altered, but I already have, and I still am doing. And you don’t like that. I was brought to this world to rival you.” 

Truth appeared stunned for a moment before it took Leo’s hand to its forehead and began laughing. The last time Leo heard that thing laugh was when she first went through the Portal from her world and into Amestris. Three years ago, it laughed with a content amusement. Today, it was surprised condescendence. 

**You are certainly an arrogant human. You think you can rival God?**

As if it was answering the question for her, a large stone Gate building itself from the ground. This Gate was he same size and shape as the others, and it had its own unique pattern. She had done what only a God can do. Leo created a soul. 

“I know I can,” her green eyes bored into the Truth. “Regardless of what you call yourself, I will defeat you.” 

The world rushed back to Leo in a fury. She collapsed on the ground and started spitting up blood. Damn. That transmutation took more energy from Leo than she was originally planning to give. Silver lining was that she got the last laugh in that confrontation. Something to hold onto. 

“What the hell did you do, kid?!” Envy shouted, voice wavering with uncertainty and disbelief. He was cut off with the wailing of pain from Sloth. His right arm and left leg were missing. Not missing, Leo gave them back to Ed’s Truth. 

“What the-?” Envy’s angry yet confused voice came from the stone prison. “What the hell did you do?!” 

“You’re human,” Leo hissed out in rough pants. “You’re… no longer… a homunculus… You’re human.” 

“What?!” Envy roared from his prison. “That’s not possible!” 

“It is,” she wheezed. Archaeus, she could see stars behind her eyes, and it was getting hard to breathe. _‘Don’t pass out. Don’t you dare pass out.’_

Leo took a moment to collect herself before trying to get up. She only managed to push her torso up with her arms before her shoulders failed and dumped her back on the stained floor. She gave up trying up and settled for talking while she was on the floor. But before going any further, she clapped her hands together and touched the ground. The stone pillars on Envy’s cage retreated back into the rest of the building, releasing the homunculus, much to the surprise of Envy and Sloth.

Maybe Leo shouldn’t have done, and she was too tired to think clearly. But another part of her told her that Envy wasn’t going anywhere. Turning a creature from homunculus to human was a curious feat, and it was clear to Leo that Envy had no real reason to be loyal to the Dwarf in the Flask. He wanted to be human because he was jealous of humans. The stunt that he, Lust, and Gluttony pulled in Lab 5 was proof of that. 

“There is one difference between humans and homunculi,” Leo began. “Humans have souls, and homunculi don’t. It’s the reason they can’t use alchemy. Sloth now has a soul. He’s human, now. I made him a soul.” 

“How the fuck did you make him a soul?!” Envy demanded. First this brat keeps the Fullmetal pipsqueak from making a Stone, then she somehow defies the laws of alchemy by doing something that didn’t even exist in theory yet. 

“I ignored the law of Equivalent Exchange,” she answered honestly and vaguely. 

“What?!” the only homunculus in the area roared. 

“It’s true,” Sloth said. “We were in a white void where there was a tall grey Gate. And there was thing there. It said, ‘There is no Equivalent exchange.’ She created another Gate. Another soul.” 

Envy was stunned into silence. 

“LEO!” a familiar voice shouted. 

This time, Envy did react, and so did Sloth and Leo. They all looked behind the black-haired homunculus to see two figures appear from the bushes. 

It was Ed and Al. They must’ve used alchemy to put the pieces of the destroyed boat back together. Even though most pieces were scattered and/or destroyed, it wouldn’t have been difficult for them to get to the island, anyway. 

“What the hell?” Ed almost mumbled when he saw the sight before him. He only needed a moment to register what was going on, or what he thought was going on.  
“You’re that homunculus-!” he lurched forward before being stopped. 

“Wait!” Leo called out from her spot on the ground. “They didn’t do this to me. I just did a heavy transmutation.” 

Their eyes went from Leo’s form to the other two creatures on the island. One was lighting up with red sparks as it tried to heal itself from its injuries, while the other was missing an arm and a leg and bleeding heavily. That caught their attention, Leo noticed. 

“Please,” she drew their attention back to her. “He’s gonna bleed out. Take him to a hospital as soon as possible.” 

They were immediately skeptical. They’ve been assuming that kid was a homunculus, and they’ve seen a homunculus repair its own body. Hell, there’s one regenerating right in front of them. Why can’t he regenerate? Where were his stolen limbs? Was he really a homunculus? 

Of course, Al didn’t hesitate to scoop up the child and begin trying to slow the bleeding. He then went over to Leo, but she told him to go. 

“It’s gonna be fine,” Leo wheezed out with a wave of her hand. The two brothers still didn’t want to leave her alone, but Leo gave them a pained but reassuring smile, “Ed, Al… trust me.” 

The Elric in armor still appeared conflicted, but the eldest hesitated but nodded. He pulled Al’s arm in the direction of where they came from.  
“Brother! Leo’s hurt! We need to-!” 

“She can handle this, Al! We have to go!” 

Leo blinked for a moment as she saw the two brothers flee with the former homunculus with them. She didn’t expect Ed to actually leave like that. She felt a rush of gratitude because of his trust in her. Regardless, it only worked in her favor. Leo tried to push herself up one more time and managed to get herself into a sitting position to talk to Envy. If she plays her cards right, maybe she’ll get out of this alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	18. Change of Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Envy still glared at her with contempt and anger, but now there was some terrified fascination in his eyes that Leo wasn’t sure if she really wanted to know about. The cruel, calculating part of her mind that she did want to know because she always wanted to know what was going through someone’s mind so she could use it against them. It still made Leo cringe in disgust with herself that she was thinking of other people as nothing more than pawns. But that wasn’t important. 

Sloth and the Elric brothers were gone, hopefully back to the island. It was just Envy and Leo, now. It may have just been luck that everything has been going smoothly so far, but that could always change. The last time Leo got cocky, her father- no, Maes Hughes died (she didn’t deserve to call Hughes her father after she left him and his family and then got him killed). The thought of his death made a wave of anger pump through her blood, but she quickly stamped it down. This was not the time or place to avenge Hughes. She had a different problem to deal with. 

Leo returned Ed’s arm and leg to the Archaeus, so they would be easier to reach when the time came. Ed may not have been willing to tear off a homonculus’s limbs to get his back, but Leo was. While she was in that white void, she created a soul for a soulless doll. It was something that had only never even existed in theory before.

“Tell me something, Envy.” 

The creature snapped out of his stupor and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Your Father, is he a homunculus?” 

Envy almost scoffed, “Of course he is. Do you really expect someone as powerful as him to be a weak human? Homunculi are above humans.” 

Leo ignored that vain remark, “Homunculi can’t use alchemy because they don’t have a Gate, and yet, Father does even though you say he is a creature who can’t.” 

Envy narrowed his eyes in thought. He wasn’t quite sure what the brat was grasping at, but he was starting to get a good idea. 

“He was created a homunculus but became human when he created a Gate for himself.” 

The other being in the clearing had enough bullshit, “That’s impossible. He can’t create a Gate. Gluttony was an experiment to create a Gate, but it failed! He can’t create a soul! Not yet. He will once he becomes a God.” 

“I was able to create a soul, and I’m a weak human.” 

Envy’s mind reels. 

“I’m saying that he knows how to create a soul because he’s done it for himself, so why hasn’t he made any of you human?” 

“I just fucking told you that he can’t create a Gate.” 

“Why are homunculi unable to use alchemy?” 

The question seemed to have come from nowhere, but Envy knew what it meant. Envy knew that Father was a homunculus, and homunculi can’t do alchemy because they have no souls, no Gates. Father has his own Gate, so he can use alchemy. But he can’t create a soul. You’d have to be a god to do what only God can do. But Leo made a soul, and she’s just a human. Homunculi are supposed to be above humans, right? 

Envy wasn’t intimidated; hell, he even knew what Leo was playing at. She was trying to lure him over to her side with faulty logic. It wasn’t going to work, but he’ll humor her for the last few minutes she is alive (Father would likely be angry, but he was already angry with Leo before. Really, he should’ve killed her when he had the chance and found a different sacrifice), “He will turn us human when he does what he needs to.” 

“What makes you so certain he will do that for you after he completes his goal?” 

“We’ve worked for him for over two hundred years, brat. He’s going to return the favor. I believe you alchemists call it Equivalent Exchange.” 

“Is that a fact? He’ll have no more use for you, so why would he keep you alive? He’s never had any problem with killing off anybody who has no use for him.” 

“He wouldn’t do that to us.” 

“Last I checked, he melted Greed because he disobeyed him.” 

Envy startled for two different reasons. One was because of confusion. How did Leo know about what happened to Greed? Wrath had escorted her out before Father destroyed him. Two was of a realization. She was right. While it was true that Greed had disobeyed Father, it was not the first time he had lashed out at his children. If any of them were to even show a hint of disobeying, Father would punish them immediately. He was the only one who could truly hurt them. He was one of the few beings that Envy truly feared, and that was what was keeping him in line. It was not loyalty; it was fear. It was terror. 

The only reason he, Lust, and Gluttony were still alive after Lab 5 was because Father didn’t know about it. The building was destroyed, and the one who was investigating the rumors of homunculi was killed by Lust, herself. The homunculi were planning of fleeing the country after Lab 5 because of what father was planning. If he found out, there was no way he was going to allow them to live. He knew about their desire to because human; he promised that he would make them human, after all. But with the few words that Leo had spoken, he was starting to doubt that. 

He knew the brat was playing him, but dammit she was right. Father was going to kill them after he was done with them. They were just trying to avoid the issue by not thinking about it, but the truth was always there. 

This brat, though. She was clever. She was clever enough to trap him efficiently and without getting caught. She took her seemingly hopeless situation and used it to her advantage. She seemed dead set on bringing Father down even though she was hilariously outgunned. Did that make her a fool? Or does she have some kind of plan? 

He remembered who he was dealing with here. This was Leo Andersen, the trouble-making sacrifice who managed to kill Sloth, stop their plans in Fiore, dig up their attempts of becoming human in Lab 5, and created a soul right in front of him. Just to throw an extra insult, she was the fabled Dragon of Amestris. She could do things no other alchemist can. Not only was she strong, but she was undoubtedly cunning. Everything she has done has played off each other in an intricate web of strategy. 

She did have a plan to take down Father. That was certain. However, that then brings up the question of what Envy is going to do about it. 

But how does Envy know that Leo’s not going to just feed him to the wolves when she has no use for him? The homunculus almost snorted to himself. Leo was a human, and humans have stupid emotional attachments. They don’t have the backbone to sacrifice pawns in a game of real-life chess. Even Leo wasn’t able to do that. After all, she even saved Tucker from a serial killer even though he practically sentenced his daughter to a living hell. 

“Well, well, brat,” Envy bared his teeth in a twisted grin. “Aren’t you a bold human? Well, I assume you want me to do something for you in return, huh? Using emotional weaknesses to your own advantage. I’m starting to really see why you have such a reputation.” 

Leo stayed silent. She knew that she had succeeded in making Envy at least doubt his leader, but she didn’t know if she had said enough to make him completely defect. 

“I don’t expect you to do any spying or anything like that for me,” Leo interrupted. 

Envy blinked, confusion evident on his face. That confusion only gave way to interest after a few moments, however. Despite the fact that she is a human, this clever alchemist intrigued Envy. He has always enjoyed outwitting his enemies. By following Father, Envy has had the opportunity to be involved in many devious plans throughout his life. Some requests were odd, but all of them had extreme results that made Envy cackle with mad glee. Just watching foolish humans dance in the palms of their hands was enough motivation for Envy to do any task he was told to do. For as long as he had existed, Envy has always taken orders from Father. While they were interesting, he’s honestly had enough taking orders from someone else. He’s been under Father since he was created, and he and his siblings were more than ready to leave. 

“I want you to tell Lust about what I can do,” Leo finally had enough strength to stand up. “Tell her I can turn a homunculus into a human. Nothing more and nothing less.” 

Envy couldn’t stop the disappointment from twisting in his gut. It was an odd request, and the endgame was obvious. Leo just wanted Gluttony and Lust on her side. By telling them about her ability to turn them human, it’ll give them a reason to be loyal to her. But the follow up is what made Envy pause. What was Leo planning to do once she has the homunculi on her side? Did she just want them out of the way? Or was she trying to turn them against the other homunculi? 

Fine, he’ll play along. Envy was almost eager to see what Leo was planning. He knew that the alchemist was trying to take down Father, and the only reason Envy was loyal to him was because he promised to turn the homunculi human. If Leo can do it earlier, then Envy had no reason to be loyal to them. 

“Alright, brat. Equivalent exchange,” the homunculus grinned. “I tell Lust and Gluttony about your ability to turn a homunculus human, and in return, you make me human.” 

Leo almost snorted. She hadn’t mentioned Gluttony, but if Envy mentioned him, then he must’ve already figured out that she wanted him to know, too. He followed Lust everywhere, so wherever she goes, he follows. However, she visibly narrowed her eyes. Leo hated equivalent exchange. She still stood by what she said to Ed and Al in that hotel room after they found out about the Philosopher’s Stone. The world was unfair, and it never was going to be. That was her philosophy. She didn’t want to help someone if it meant they would owe her. However, this was a war. Leo couldn’t afford to stand by her moral code when lives were on the line. 

“Then we have ourselves a deal, Envy.” 

The homunculus grinned maniacally before disappearing into the forest. A part of Leo said that he was immediately going to snitch to Father, but, hopefully, Leo put enough doubt in Envy’s mind to at least not trust him with valuable information anymore. 

Much of Leo’s energy was drained form that transmutation, but during that chat, she finally gathered enough strength to channel some electricity from her back to her wings. She felt the uncomfortable tug in her chest when she overworks her alchemy, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was what she was going to do next. She may not have been able to recruit Greed, but she did manage to sway Envy (and possibly Lust and Gluttony if Envy passes the message), and she could possibly get into contact with the chimeras from the Devil’s Nest. She didn’t know how many of them survived, but she did know that they were loyal to Greed. She could use that, but she’d have to find them, first. It was probably best to let them regroup before trying to seek them out. Leo had other things to do, anyway. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Al would’ve yelled at his brother to go back if it wasn’t for the odd interaction he had to witness. Usually, Ed and Leo would be at each other’s throats if one so much as looked at the other funny. They may be assholes to each other, but Ed wouldn’t just leave someone to die. Leo looked exhausted, and she was left alone with a homunculus. There was no way she could fight in her condition, and the two brothers were prepared to take down Envy to protect her. 

But Leo told them to leave her. Al was almost rattled at the striking similarities between her and his brother that night when they were hunted by Scar. Ed told Scar to kill him and spare Al. Leo was telling the two brothers to leave her behind, but there was something different about the two during those times. Ed had intended to die to protect his brother, but Leo had a fire in her eyes that refused to go out. She had no intentions of dying, and that meant she had some kind of plan. Al had never known Leo to be a strategist, but, then again, he doesn’t know Leo very well at all. 

He knows that she likes to disappear then reappear suddenly, and that she’s hiding something big. She knows much more than what she lets on. She avoids the military, knows about the ingredients for the Philosopher’s Stone, and she knows homunculi. She doesn’t just know about them; she personally knows them. She’s met them before, or, at least, knows about them and their motives. Was that why she wanted to talk to Envy? There was no way she could fight a homunculus in her condition; the only thing she can do is talk. And Al knows by experience that Leo has a way with words and a knack for last minute disappearances. He only hoped that it would be enough to keep her alive. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Izumi Curtis was pissed off. No, pissed off wasn’t the best choice of words. She was pissed off at her students quite often, but this Leo person certainly fell into a different category. While the Elric brothers were troublemakers, most of it was done in mischief. They were children who had a habit of getting mixed into trouble too great for them. She might even go so far as to say that they look for trouble. However, what Izumi witnessed from Leo was not a child getting into trouble. She was the one causing the trouble, and she was leading Ed and Al straight into it. While her brats still annoyed her, they were still her brats. 

This kind of trouble was not childlike pranks that kids her age would be up to. She was directly involved with the military, and she knew about homunculi. Hell, Leo knew a homunculus by name. She was working with them, or for them. Izumi was not going to let her two brat students get involved with these monsters.

So no, she was not pissed off. She was furious. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leo circled the skies and saw that the Elric brothers had indeed gone to the hospital for the former homunculus. While she trusted their word, Leo had to make sure they were away from Izumi while she talked to her. Leo didn’t want them involved in this conspiracy plot, and she didn’t Izumi involved either. Leo may not admit it, but Hughes’ dead made her shrink her circle of trust. She trusted Izumi to protect herself enough not to die against a few military officers, but what if she was faced against a squad of armed soldiers and had an attack? Just like in the 03 version, she had an attack while she was fighting off Lieutenant Colonel Frank Archer and almost died because she couldn’t fight. Call Leo paranoid or even overprotective, but she already lost Hughes. She didn’t want to admit that Hughes was like a father to her, just like how neither of the Elrics would admit that Izumi is like a mother to them. Leo won’t let any of them die. She can’t fail them like how she failed Hughes.

Leo’s boots landed soundlessly on the grass outside the butcher shop. Time to face the music. 

She opened the door to see an angry Sig blocking the doorway. While he was intimidating, Leo could just move him if need be, but she really didn’t want to. It would most likely cause a scene. 

“Please stand aside, sir,” Leo spoke calmly. 

As predicted, Sig didn’t move. He didn’t even twitch. 

Internally sighing, Leo spoke up again, “I need to speak with your wife.” Most military would hold up their proof of certification, but Leo isn’t speaking as a State Alchemist. 

An angry thud sounded from somewhere in the shop. Looks like Izumi heard Leo. Hopefully that means Leo gets to talk to her about what went down on the island. Before anyone could get a word in, Izumi attacked. 

A flash of alchemical blue danced around Leo as her wing shot around her back and latched onto Izumi’s foot. The smaller alchemist latched her boots onto the steps of the house to stand her ground because she knew that Izumi wouldn’t just throw one punch. 

The housewife quickly noticed that her foot wouldn’t budge, so she jumped and twisted, using Leo’s grip as leverage to throw her other leg around and struck Leo on her rib cage. The other alchemist buckled, and that was all Izumi needed to throw her back onto the ground. Leo’s grip on Izumi and the ground didn’t falter, and Izumi was forced to chase Leo as her foot was carried in Leo’s wing. Small pieces of concrete were still attached to the soles of Leo’s boots as she was knocked to the ground. Izumi’s foot pinned Leo’s wing to the ground and her other stood on the smaller alchemist’s chest. A spear was pointed to Leo’s neck before she even had time to stand up. She vaguely wondered when Izumi had time to make it from the ground. 

She looked up at the housewife and only saw a livid expression. 

Leo’s armor crept up her neck from under her clothes just to be safe, but Izumi noticed the buzz of blue and the scale-like skin climbing up from under the military uniform. She drew the spear closer to Leo’s neck until it started digging into Leo’s throat. 

Leo quickly drew back her scales away from her neck. She didn’t want to do anything to antagonize the person holding a blade to her throat. Izumi didn’t comment on it, and it didn’t look like she was relaxing either. 

“You’d throw away your shield when your opponent is cornering you with a sword?” Izumi spat in disgust. 

The blade broke skin and a dribble of blood went down her neck. Leo had to choose her next words carefully. “I’m not your enemy.” 

Izumi snarled and brought the spear up, threatening to dive it through her windpipe. Leo quickly reacted and the transmutation circle on her wrist morphed the metal on the back of her hand. The metal shifted to make another transmutation circle that can be used to manipulate cement, which was what Izumi’s weapon was made from. The flash of blue coiled around Leo’s hand before it shot through the spear as Leo grabbed hold of it. Almost instantly, the weapon disintegrated in Izumi’s grip. 

Izumi’s weapon was destroyed, but the threat was still in her glare. A few moments passed, and Leo waited for the housewife to make the next move.

She narrowed her eyes and spoke with venom, “You’re an unusual alchemist.” 

Normally, Leo would take that in stride, but she knew that in her situation, it was a bad thing. Izumi just had to deal with the possibility and proof that homunculi (creatures created from never before seen alchemy) exist, and now she was dealing with an alchemist who specializes in never before seen alchemy. 

“Unusual alchemy is what has kept me alive,” Leo answered. “There’s another alchemist in the country who uses alchemy even stranger than I am. He wants to destroy everything. I’m not going to let that happen.” 

The hidden message was clear. _“Someone is creating homunculi and is planning something big.”_

Izumi didn’t stand up, “Tell me everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


	19. Fullmetal vs Zodiac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo Andersen was an average fourteen-year-old girl from the United States. She had two loving parents, lots of friends at school, a dream to go to college to become a scientist, and a favorite television show called Fullmetal Alchemist. Leo was not ashamed to say that she knew practically everything about this franchise from the manga to the anime, but she never expected that she would have to use that knowledge to protect herself and everyone else in the country of Amestris from the horrors she knew were going to pass.

Leo did tell her. She also told her that she wanted her and the Elric brothers far away from the battle. As expected, Izumi adamantly refused. Even when Leo said she wanted Ed and Al away from the chaos. That slightly puzzled Leo. 

“Those two boys are already in the center of this war,” Izumi replied when Leo voiced her concerns. “It would be counterproductive to try to pull them out. You’re not protecting them, you’re coddling them. They need to know about this threat and they need to be ready. Keeping them in the dark is not going to solve anything. They’re going to get killed.” 

“Which is exactly why they should stay out of it,” Leo hissed. 

“So you think they can’t handle themselves.” 

“I never said that.” 

“Yes you did.” 

Leo hissed. She knew that they were just going to be arguing in circles. The younger alchemist searched her brain for an answer. “The guy who controls the country blackmailed me to sign up for the State Alchemist so he could keep tabs on me.” 

Izumi didn’t say anything, so Leo kept talking, “He wants me to stay out of his way and willingly give myself up as a sacrifice when the eclipse begins.” 

Izumi still didn’t say anything, but she was starting to get an understanding of what position Leo was in. The Elric brothers are only in the military to find a way to get their bodies back. The threat that Leo is facing is nonexistent to them because they are in the dark. Leo wasn’t just protecting them, she was trying to protect the people close to them. Izumi could understand that, but that didn’t mean she agreed with it. 

“I’m not going to the Dwarf in the Flask devour the country,” Leo snarled, her automail claws flexing in agitation. “He can blackmail me all he wants; I’m not going to let everybody down.” 

Izumi almost grinned. She knew that Leo was the Amestrain Dragon. She could fly and breathe fire, just as the Dragon was rumored to be able to do. She also knew that the Dragon was a protector. Some people call her a monster because she can do things no one else can, but others call her a hero because she does what no one else wants to. 

But seeing her conviction in person told Izumi that Leo genuinely wants to help people. It was certainly a first for her. An alchemist that sticks to their code: “Be thou for the people.” 

“I apologize but I’m going to have to ask you for a favor,” Leo interjected. 

Izumi narrowed her eyes. While doing anything for a dog of the military, even for the better of the country, still rubbed her the wrong way. She knew that Leo was just acting, but she still couldn’t completely destroy the poisonous coil in her gut. 

“That homunculus child was brought to the hospital by Ed and Al,” she started. “He’ll survive, I’m sure of that. But he’s going to need a place to stay and hide until all of this dies down.” 

Izumi knew damn well where Leo was going with this, “I want to but I can’t.” 

At seeing Leo’s raised eyebrow, she elaborated, “That child is a homunculus. You already knew this. I took him in because he is my responsibility, but a homunculus won’t last long. He’ll either kill me or I’ll kill him.” 

“That didn’t stop you from protecting him earlier,” Leo pointed out. “And, besides, he’s not a homunculus anymore.” 

“Don’t play games with me,” Izumi snapped. 

“It’s true,” Leo replied as if she wasn’t on the receiving end of Izumi Curtis’ infamous glare. “Homunculi are creatures with a mind and body but no soul. If you give a homunculus a soul, he will be human.” 

“You can’t just create a soul.” 

“I did.” 

Izumi looked absolutely shellshocked. 

“He’s human now. That’s why I’m asking you to take him in. If the other homunculi find out that he’s no longer one of them, they’ll chase him to the ends of the earth.” 

Leo got to her feet and stood in front of Izumi, “I know I have no right to ask you for any favors, and I know this is dangerous. You never asked for this, but please,” she bowed her head. “That child didn’t ask for this either. He’s scared and confused and in real danger. If not for me, then do it for him.” 

A few moments passed, but they felt like hours. Izumi didn’t move and neither did Leo. However, after a while, the smaller alchemist began to hear footsteps marching in her direction. 

Leo didn’t know what was coming, but whatever it was, she had to do the best with what she can. If Izumi doesn’t want to take the kid in, then Leo going to have to find someone else. Her first thought was Gracia, but Leo already sent Nina there after the transmutation. Leo didn’t want to overwork the poor woman, and she had already lost her husband. Maybe Resembool would take him… 

However, before Leo’s mind could run through any more contingences, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up and saw dark dreadlocks. 

“You’ve had a hard life, Leo,” Izumi spoke gently. The girl startled. This was not what she expected. “You’ve been carrying burdens that are not yours to bear. You don’t have to do this all on your own.” 

She thought she might have a breakdown again. Archaeus, when was the last time she was held like this? Leo’s life felt sort of routine while she was in Amestris. Fly to a town, get some money from a small job, grab some food from the forest, sleep in a tree, and fly to the next town. Every day was the same damn thing for two years. Leo never thought much of it before, but in all that time, she never once really interacted with people. She’s spoken to them, sure, but when was the last time she's actually talked to them. 

Leo wanted to be strong just like the characters she admired so much. They took everything in stride, and, while they still suffered, they became stronger for it. How did they do it? Leo wasn’t even that far into the timeline, yet it felt like so much has happened. She wasn’t even at the hard part yet, and she was already on the brink of collapse. 

Elric confronting her yesterday on Yock Island, now Izumi comforting her after so much has happened. Two years of being completely alone, and now suddenly being in a sincere embrace made her entire world turn upside down. 

It was too much and not enough at the same time. 

Izumi seemed to notice this because her embrace only got more secure, and that was all it took before the dam finally broke. Leo’s cold, unfeeling, prosthetic arms wrapped around Izumi and her head buried into her shoulder in shame. Her eyes watered, but even after everything, Leo still refused to cry. 

“I’m sorry,” Leo whimpered. And she was so very sorry. She’s sorry she let Nina suffer, she’s sorry she let Hughes die, she’s sorry she lied to Ed and Al, she’s sorry she attacked Izumi, she’s sorry she pushed her problems onto Izumi, she’s sorry she… 

“Don’t apologize,” Izumi replied. Leo sucked in a harsh breath and shut herself up. It was then that she realized that she was talking out loud. “It was always my intention to take care of that child. You said that I never asked for this, but that’s not entirely true. It was my fault he was created, so it’s my responsibility to clean up my mess. I was going to let him kill me because I had no right to keep on living when I made my child suffer.” 

Leo didn’t reply. She already knew everything. 

“But you… The only two possibilities I saw were death, but you gave both of us a second chance. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Leo’s heart was in her ears; she still didn’t have an answer. 

“You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Izumi said. "You don't have to worry about me or my son. Just focus on what you have to do." 

Leo backed out and wiped her eyes with an arm. While no tears were shed, her eyes still stung with the threat of waterworks. 

Suddenly, the door burst open to reveal an exhausted Ed and frantic Al in the doorway. They began yelling about what happened on the island. However, it was not in order, so, out of context, it sounded like gibberish. 

The eldest of the brothers suddenly stopped when they saw that Leo was already there and talking to their teacher. The armored alchemist honestly would’ve laughed in any other situation. 

Leo thought it was going to be awkward to act normally around the Elric brothers while Izumi was in the room because she was keeping secrets. However, a thought crossed Leo’s mind that made her pause. She’s been keeping secrets from them for as long as she’s known them. 

\---------------------------------------------------

Al sweatdropped. His brother and Leo were brawling again. He didn’t know what had started it. It almost seemed like nothing had just happened. He and Ed were just told that the mysterious child that appeared on Yock Island was indeed a homunculus, but Leo turned him human. If Al had a jaw, it would've dropped. He knew that Leo could do strange things with alchemy, but this was a whole new level. Hell, turning Nina back to human was a whole new level. She was doing alchemy that doesn't even exist in theory yet! Al almost felt cold anxiety scrape at his blood seal at the pure power Leo had at her disposal. He didn't want to be wary around her, but the thought of just the mystery of the extent of Leo's power was chilling. However, it seemed his brother did not feel that same dread. 

“Oh yeah?!” Ed finally snapped. He then grinned when a nasty idea crept into his mind. “Why don’t we settle this like men!” 

Al sweatdropped. While he was honored that his teacher thought of him as the more responsible out of the three of them, he wasn’t sure that he could break them up even if he wanted to. He noticed that his brother was carrying real animosity towards Leo ever since he came up with his theory of her already knowing about the truth of the Philosopher’s Stone. 

While he did see Ed’s reasoning and sympathized with his anger, something about the entire thing rubbed him the wrong way. Just all of a sudden, they started getting along (and that is said very lightly because if you were to look at these tow first glance, you never would’ve realized that their relationship was doing any better) after spending a few days on the island. 

If Leo really was working with the homunculi and managed to keep Ed’s mouth shut, then he wouldn’t be this relaxed around her. He would be visually livid. But that just made Al wonder what exactly happened to suddenly make three years of hatred just go away. He shook his head. The only reason he was speculating at all was because Ed barely said a word to him after he and Leo got off the boat. Whenever his teacher wasn’t around, Ed and Leo would either be throwing verbal or physical punches at each other. 

“What do you have in mind, midget?” Leo taunted. 

“My assessment day is coming up,” Ed growled at the ‘midget’ comment, never taking his eyes off his opponent. “You and me, I’ll beat you in front of the whole damn army!” 

Leo blinked. His assessment day? She then had a moment of realization. Ed left his brother at Izumi’s to go back to Central and take his exam While he was gone, Al was kidnapped by the other chimeras from the Devil’s Nest. 

“But, brother,” Al tried calming down his brother, but he unknowingly was only going to add fuel to the fire. “You can’t fight a civilian in your assessment. Last time you picked a fight, it was with Colonel Mustang, and you were only allowed to get away with it because he’s a State Alchemist.” 

Leo chuckled, “On the contrary…” she held up her silver pocket watch with a shit-eating grin. 

Al stuttered and Ed stared before the short one detonated, “What the- since when?!” 

“Since a couple days ago,” Leo put her proof of certification back in one of the pouches on her belt. “When I flew into Dublith, the Fuhrer was there with an official certification.” 

The two brothers gaped. Leo grinned and looked haughtier than ever. The bomb that is Edward Elric finally went off, “Now I have a legitimate reason to kick your ass!”  
Leo didn’t even blink, “You mispronounced ‘kiss,’ half-pint.” 

Ed’s eyes turned black and he roared, “THAT’S IT! THIS IS WAR! YOU AND ME, LEO!!” 

“What’s your title, Leo?” Al tried to steer the two away from each other before another fight broke out. 

Leo looked up at him, and she puffed her chest out, “The Zodiac Alchemist.” 

Ed snorted, “Lame.” 

Leo felt a vein bulge on her forehead, “Well, at least I’m not named after the only trick I can do, Mr. Metal-Arm.” 

“Say that to my face, pipsqueak!” 

Leo just walked out of the house, “No.” 

The eldest of the two brothers spluttered at being so casually disregarded, while the younger of the two sweatdropped. By the time Al got out of the butcher shop, he only saw Ed spitting curses at the roof like a dog barking at a cat in a tree. The boy in armor looked up to see Leo’s cobalt military uniform in front of the sun.  
A flash of bright blue glistened in the sun before jet black wings erupted from her back and flared out. Ed almost gaped at the size of them. While Leo was a puny four foot eleven in height, her wingspan was easily at least seventeen or eighteen feet. The brothers guessed that the wings had to be large to lift a human off the ground in the first place. However, they weren’t idiots. Humans were not made to fly. There was no successful attempt at flying even with machines, and Leo just had long strips of cloth attached to her back. Birds could fly because of their hollow bones; they were lighter and could lift themselves off the ground with their huge wings. Leo not only did not have hollow bones, but she also had automail. Just how the hell could she fly? 

Almost as if in answer, Leo crouched down and prepared to lift off. With a powerful flap of her wings, Leo jumped into the sky. A gust of wind erupted from the roof and struck the Elric brothers as they tried to watch. To their shock, Leo stayed in the air and began flying toward the train station. She could just fly in the direction of Central, but she wasn’t. before Al could think too much about it, he say Leo turn her head and smirk at the two brothers. 

Leo was taunting Ed, and he damn knew it. Al sweatdropped when his elder brother let out a war cry and rushed to the station. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

Ed burst off the train with the same ferocity he uses to kick open the door to Colonel Bastard’s office. He was restless and twitchy the entire train ride back to Central, and seeing Leo fly out the window next to the train sent him over the edge. Even though she left Dublith before the train, Leo had slowed down so she could taunt Ed through the window. 

Al had felt like he was in the middle of a public event because other people eventually spotted the huge ‘bat-creature’ flying next the train. While Ed was silently ranting at it (sometimes not even silently), other people were hastily writing it down or taking pictures, and some were just excitedly chatting with each other. Nobody had even concrete proof that the thing existed because there were only stories about what it did when it was active, and that was at night. Nobody expected the thing to suddenly appear after two years in broad daylight, practically taunting a random kid on the train. The ride to Central was a riot. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed and his brother stood alone on the battlefield. The arena was barricaded by police walls to clearly mark the boundaries of the upcoming fight. As he looked around, he noticed Leo was still not here. Many officers gathered outside to watch the battle (or just get out of the office), but Ed’s opponent was nowhere to be seen. An idea crossed his mind that made him even more furious. Did Leo just ditch him to make a fool of himself in front of the whole army? 

Ed had gone to Mustang’s office and demanded he be allowed a battle assessment. To his surprise, the Colonel was absent, but the rest of his team was still working. Hawkeye sighed and wondered who picked a fight with the pipsqueak this time, and when Ed declared he fight Zodiac, the rest of the team just looked at each other in confusion. Nobody had ever heard of them before, but Hawkeye sent the request to the Fuhrer, anyway. Nobody was surprised to hear that the request had been accepted. But the unknown alchemist had yet to show up on the battlefield. 

Fuery and Breda were wondering just what kind of alchemist someone had to be to be named Zodiac. Havoc was checking out other female officers, and Falman just wanted to go back inside. 

The rest of the soldiers were unimpressed when they saw that Fullmetal’s supposed opponent was absent. However, they weren’t waiting for too long, however. A familiar screech tore through the air. A few soldiers gasped and began to slightly panic and riot. They recognized the sound as the creature that flew through Amestris at night. But it was broad daylight out, were they getting pranked? 

Eventually, a streak of black descended from the sky and landed in the opposite side of the arena. Dirt was kicked up and many officers gaped in disbelief. Once Leo landed, she spread her wings theatrically and roared, spitting fire in the sky dramatically. 

Ed deadpanned at Leo’s need to be over the top and yelled at her, “You done showing off, short-stack?!” 

The soldiers were still caught in a state of disbelief. They must’ve heard of folktales of a flying creature that soars the Amestrian skies at night; it had huge wings, was famous for a screeching sound as it blazed through the air, and it was rumored to be able to breathe fire. And that same creature protected Silver, Iron Blood, and Sewing-Life from Scar, a serial killer that has never missed a target before Dragon showed up. They started taunting Ed even more because they thought it was already over for him. 

“I’ll write a eulogy for you, pipsqueak!” 

“Good luck, beansprout! You’re gonna need it!” 

“Nice knowing’ ya, chief!” 

The comments only made Ed angrier, “WHO ARE YOU CALLIN’ A RUNT SO SMALL HE CAN FIT INSIDE A TEST TUBE?!” 

Leo took her chance to taunt Ed as his younger brother backed away, “I protected you from Scar. Now, I’m going to kick your little ass.” 

“DON’T CALL ME LITTLE!!!” Ed bellowed as he slammed his palms on the ground. 

Looks like the fight officially started. 

Arms of earth erupted from the ground and shot towards Zodiac in a fury that reflected their creator. 

Said Zodiac Alchemist only snorted before she clapped her hands and slammed them on the ground as well. Pillars of earth with the ends taking the shape of dragon heads lunged forward and struck down Fullmetal’s attack. Without any resistance, the serpentine creatures from the ground raced towards Ed. 

He clapped and caught the head of one of the monsters, alchemical energy surging through it and taking the shape of what he wanted. The serpents Leo had created were being morphed into a giant canon that was aimed straight at Zodiac. 

“How’s this for small?” he taunted before firing a shot. A cannonball that was easily twice the height of Leo rushed in her direction. 

She grinned before channeling power from the spikes on her back to the armor that was wrapped around her forearms. Blades appeared from the outer sides of her forearms, and Leo sent a surge of electricity through them. The reinforced blades were brought down and cleanly sliced the boulder-sized ammunition into four pieces. Said pieces harmlessly passed by Leo, but the soldiers behind her weren’t so lucky. They shouted in panic and fled to not let the shards crush them. 

However, before Leo could do anything to counter, she saw Ed directly in front of her with blue sparks engulfing his right arm. The cannonball was just a distraction; he must’ve began running or her the moment he sent that shot. His metal fist shot up and Leo was hit with a nasty uppercut to the jaw. She yelped in surprise and pain, but Ed wasn’t done yet. He spun in the air and slammed his left metal heel into the back of her head. 

Looks like he was trying to knock her out quickly, but Leo wasn’t finished yet, either. 

She then exhaled, releasing the gas in her gut and igniting it with lightning, Zodiac released a blast of fire right in front of Fullmetal. The impact hit him point blank, but Ed managed to bring his metal arm up to stop the blast from damaging his torso. The red coat and black jacket were completely scorched, but the steel successfully protected Ed. However, it sent him flying back, but Ed was still able to right himself in the air and landed on his feet, skidding away from the momentum slightly. 

Leo grinned; Ed can take a hit well. Zodiac roared before throwing her forearms back and charging. As expected, Ed created his own automail blade and leaped to meet Leo’s attack. 

Leo’s right hand came down in an attempt to strike his shoulder, but it was blocked by Ed’s own right hand. Dragon swung her left in a wide hook, aiming for Fullmetal’s head, but it was easily blocked again. 

Ed smirked as he dodged and countered the strikes without much difficulty. Leo was just recklessly swinging at a random body part, and her strikes were sloppy and uncoordinated. It became very clear to Ed in an instant that Leo was never trained in close combat. He was a bit worried about being able to defend from Leo’s assault because Ed only had one blade and Leo had two, but Fullmetal finally remembered that she did the same thing back at the lab. Leo apparently has no experience in martial arts. 

With new confidence, Ed began his counter, and Leo was forced onto the defense. She tried blocking, but Ed was a better fighter. Fullmetal easily weaved through Leo’s poor defenses and continued using close combat. Zodiac felt like kicking herself. She seriously just charged into close combat even though she sucks ass at it. 

Leo quickly raised her silver spines before lightning surged through her armor again. A pulse of electricity erupted from her armor in a panic, making Ed jump back to avoid getting zapped. Leo grinned nastily; she just got a stupid idea. Sending a charge through her gauntlets, Leo concentrated the power around her metal fists and attacked again. She only charged enough voltage to power a taser, but that was most likely enough to end the match. 

Ed couldn’t block anymore. Every time Leo would land something, blocked or not, the electricity would pulse through his body painfully, and when he tried blocking with his automail, the nerves in his shoulder port screamed in agony. Fullmetal had to leap back for some breathing room and a chance to think. How the hell was Leo able to control lightning like that? And how did she not get fried? Leo had automail just like Ed. 

Leo charged again, not willing to let Ed try and decrypt her alchemical powers. 

Ed suddenly came to a realization. Leo was wearing armor over her automail, so that armor must somehow be keeping the charge away from the automail but also able to carry electricity through the grooves. A good conductor will take in the electrons and allow it to slide smoothly over the surface, hardly penetrating the material underneath. 

Fullmetal clapped his hands and changed the shape of the forearm of his automail to carry the electricity around it in a (hopefully) harmless cycle. Ed then met Leo’s lightning-infused punch with a block from his forearm. The sparks from the intensely condensed punch collided with the automail and dispersed throughout the rest the forearm. Ed felt tingles in his port from the escaped energy digging into his wrist and elbow, but it was nowhere near the intense pain from before. 

Leo almost paused for a moment. Did Ed just ground himself with his automail to disperse the electricity? Zodiac scowled and attacked again, but Fullmetal just blocked again. Leo continued to throw punch after punch, but Ed’s superior martial arts gave him the ability to block every jab with just one arm. 

Eventually, the force from the repeated clashes proved too much for Ed’s automail, and the ring of metal plating on the forearm broke off and hit the ground. Zodiac saw her opening and took it; her claws lunged forward and aimed for the throat to end the match. 

Ed hastily clapped and put his left hand on the ground and brought his right to block the talons. The opposing blades clashed loudly, but the Dragon’s charged claws easily cut through the single automail sword and stopped right before it would hit his throat and decapitate the gold-haired alchemist. 

For a moment, neither of them moved; the match was over. Leo had her talons wrapped around Ed’s neck. If she wanted to, she could sink her claws into his carotid artery and kill him. Ed felt a bit intimidated by the feeling of lightning gently flowing through the blades at his throat. In battle, those sparks would run wild, but now they were slowly floating but still threatening him to not make a move. 

Dragon smirked but so did Fullmetal. Upon Leo’s look on confusion, Ed pointed with his right hand to the ground. Leo’s feet were buried in the ground and spears jutted out from underneath Leo, threatening to impale her. Damn. Was this a draw? 

The electricity around Leo’s gauntlet disappeared and she retracted her claws. Fullmetal put his palms together before touching the ground again, sending alchemical energy into the ground and releasing Zodiac. 

The sound of slow clapping approached them. The Fuhrer and his personal secretary were walking towards them, looking highly amused, “Well done, you two. A great match between match from Amestris’s prodigies.” 

Bradley said something else, but Leo couldn’t take her attention away from the secretary who was tailing the ruler of Amestris. While Leo had never seen Trisha Elric in person, there was just no other person who could be the Fuhrer’s secretary. The Zodiac Alchemist had seen plenty of photos of Ed and Al’s mother, and this Juliet Douglas had a striking similarity. And Leo couldn’t forget that there is much crossover to the ’03 FMA; she cannot completely rule this possibility out. 

Ed scoffed and put his hands behind his head, “Leo just got lucky. If I was really trying, I woulda flayed her in the first minute of the match.” 

Leo snarled and countered, “Oh yeah? Well, I coulda fried you with that bolt of lightning earlier. You’re the lucky one ‘cause I was holding back.” 

“What did you say?!” 

“I said I can kick your ass any day of the week, Fullmetal pipsqueak!” 

“Say that to my face, lizard breath!” 

“I just did, or was I speaking to your ass? I can’t tell the difference!” 

Ed screamed in wordless anger and tackled Leo. Al sighed on the sidelines as they began to duke it out. 

Two gunshots rang out, and Leo and Ed jumped back. They looked at the ground where they were previously wrestling and saw two bullet holes. Hawkeye still had her gun pointed to the two alchemists, “Enough, you two. The match is over. It was a draw. Now, behave yourselves!” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Leo and Ed mumbled simultaneously. Hawkeye hummed in satisfaction and put her gun back in her holster. 

However, as soon as she turned to walk away, Leo snarled to Ed in a whisper, “Looks like you bought yourself a little bit more time to live, short-stack.” 

Ed slammed his head into Leo’s in challenge, “I’m just gonna have to beat you into next year another time.” 

Al saw their continued bickering and sweatdropped. If Leo’s going to stick around, just how much more of this is he going to have to put up with? 

He called out to his brother and told him to come back because the match was over. With reluctance, he marched back over to his brother, grumbling about how he would’ve beaten Leo. She snorted; yeah right. 

“Lieutenant Hawkeye,” Leo got the officer’s attention. She snapped a salute, and Leo thought the sharpshooter was directing it at someone else before Leo remembered that she outranks Hawkeye. “Where’s Colonel Mustang?” 

Her expression immediately turned somber and Leo got a chill. 

“Colonel Mustang is on leave,” Hawkeye replied. 

The State Alchemist gulped because she immediately understood why. Her head lowered so she wouldn’t have to meet the Lieutenant’s gaze. 

“That’s…” Leo searched for the right words to say, “appreciated, Lieutenant.” 

Hawkeye would’ve laughed if not for the sour mood. Sometimes, she questioned whether Hughes was the one to take her in or Mustang. Leo certainly acted more like the latter. 

“But,” the girl continued, a surprisingly determined look in her eyes. “Where is Mustang exactly?” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

During the entire flight to Mustang’s house, Leo couldn’t feel anything other than the cold claws of anxiety and dread creeping through her bones. Mustang didn’t take a leave when Hughes died in ’03 or Brotherhood. Maybe the death of his best friend was hitting him harder than it did in the original timeline. The thought made guilt curl in Leo’s stomach again. 

When she finally got to the house in question, the building felt eerie to Leo, almost the same feeling when the Elrics walked into the Tucker estate to find Nina as a chimera. There was definitely something wrong here. 

Leo landed on the windowsill of his bedroom and crawled into the house, not unlike what she did when she first appeared to him. However, there was a foul odor in the air. Leo was picking up blood, bile, and death. Heart racing now, Leo forgot all reason to be quiet and ran through the building. 

She made a beeline for the Flame Alchemist’s lab, where the smell was coming from. She slammed the door open and froze at the sight in front of her. 

Roy Mustang was sitting in a corner of the room, rags wrapped around his thighs and were soaked with blood. But upon closer look, Leo saw that his thighs were all that were left of his legs. There was a bloody trail from where he was sitting to the center of the room. He must’ve crawled to the corner, waiting to bleed out.

And in the middle of the lab was a huge transmutation circle with a puddle of black blood. 

Leo realized with horrified comprehension of what he must’ve done. 

Mustang tried human transmutation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot was written by me and a friend in a discord server. Their AO3 username is Hellcube


End file.
